Obsidian Roses
by Greyrosereddragon
Summary: There had always been something strange about Ruby. At least Weiss thinks so. But everything begins to fall apart when a masked 'woman' appears in the middle of a regular training session. Now team RWBY is stuck in the middle of a centuries old power struggle that threatens to destroy life as they know it.
1. Chp 1: Forewarning

**Update 3:**** I decided too get rid of the arc title-things. Don't feel like typing an explanation.****  
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**UPDATE 2: ****I d****ecided to delete the prologue beca****use I felt it no longer fits the story. I may rewrite it later but no promises.****  
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**UPDATE:**** I changed the scene at the end slightly. It's nothing much but it will make later chapters make a little more sense.**

**Wow, this took a long time to get out. Anyways, enjoy the slightly longer chapter!**

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Chapter 1

Forewarning

_"Blood red skies, I feel so cold_

_No innocence_

_We play our role_

_The Wheel embodies all_

_Where are we going?"_

(Weiss' POV)

There was something different with Ruby today.

Not saying that she was normal, because she was as far from it as possible. Everything about her was abnormal, especially among hunters. Though, what stood out the most was her Aura. It felt repressed, like she had her soul locked in a near-impenetrable cage. The impression never went away, even when Ruby's life was threatened. I had no idea if it was just the natural feel of her soul or if she was intentionally restraining her Aura. The latter was very unlikely, seeing that it could easily lead to death, and you would have to be insane to take a gamble like that while fighting Grimm.

Then again, I was referring to the uncomfortable silence that had settled over the room, not Ruby's overall weirdness. Usually, I would be begging Ruby to stay quiet so I could study in peace, yet now that she was silent, I couldn't help but think something was wrong.

Yang and Blake were out on a mission, leaving Ruby and me alone in our dorm. I sneaked a quick glance at my red and black haired partner. Silver eyes trained themselves on the leather bound book on her lap. _Well, she did say she liked to read, but I never thought she could actually calm down long enough to do so. I wonder what it's about. Probably some sort of ridiculous fantasy that would never happen in a thousand years._ Face heating up, my head whipped back around to the mind-numbing notes when I realized I was staring. _What the hell, Weiss! Why were you staring at her like a sick pervert? Stop ogling at your team leader and get some work done!_

Grunting at the incoming headache, I tried to focus on the paragraphs of irrelevant information. The task proved harder than usual, seeing how my mind kept wandering back to the room's other occupant. _Damn it!_ My head hit the desk with a dull thunk. _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!_

"Is something wrong?" A calloused hand found its way onto my shoulder. My blue eyes peeked through my hair to meet a concerned, stormy grey pair.

Tearing my gaze away, I replied in a rather cold tone, "Nothing. Just a headache."

Ruby jumped onto my desk without any mind of safety, scattering my organized papers into a chaotic mess. "Anything you want to talk about?"

"No. Now, can you get off my desk?" _And out of my head._

Unfortunately, the team captain did neither. She just sat there gazing out the window at the sunset. At first, I thought she had dozed off before she spoke in a strangely solemn tone. "Weiss, why did you come to Beacon?"

The question caught me off guard. "To get stronger, why else? This is a combat school after all."

Ruby's eyes visibly darkened at my answer. "Then tell me, how far are you willing to go to achieve that strength? What path will you take to get there?"

I didn't feel like I was talking to Ruby anymore, but someone else. Someone that was older and wiser than she would ever be. Someone who had seen more blood than most soldiers in a lifetime. "I don't know how you expect me to answer that."

"Of course." The scythe-wielder stayed silent for a minute before returning to her normal, cheery demeanor. "Anyways, I'm going on a walk. Would you care to join me?"

I raised my eyebrow at her sudden change. "I would rather study. You should do the same, seeing that we have a test in a few days."

"You should probably take a break. I would think banging your head on the table is good sign to stop." Ruby disappeared in a cloud of rose petals without another word, leaving me completely and utterly alone.

Sighing deeply, I began to reorganize my papers. Though I would never admit it out loud, I actually enjoyed Ruby's company. The dorm felt like a ghost town without her. My eyes wandered to Ruby's abandoned book. _I wonder…_

Curiosity overcoming me, I picked up and opened it to a random page.

Inside, a rough sketch of Yang and her weapon was drawn next to a paragraph overview of her battle style. _I guess it's normal for a leader to know about her team, but I don't see why she had to write it down…_ I frowned slightly when I noticed a list of weaknesses stated like they were completely obvious. _If it such a problem why don't you point them out?_ Furrowing my eyebrows, I turned the page. Immediately, I wish I hadn't.

Slamming the book shut, I tried to comprehend why Ruby would think for a second that Yang, her own sister, would need to be put down. I knew Yang was wild, but she wouldn't go rogue without a good reason. Does this mean she had fallback plans for everyone? Gingerly, I reopened the hardback and skimmed through.

Almost everyone we knew at Beacon, student and staff, was listed, though most of them were recorded on a page marked 'No Threat'. Only the non-redhead members of Team RWBY, Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, the professors, and some people I had never heard of had whole pages dedicated to their battle styles and overcoming them. Was Ruby convinced that everyone was eventually going to turn on her or was there some other reason? Deciding I had enough, I set the book back on its original place on the nightstand.

As I got ready for bed, I couldn't help but think that Ruby was hiding something. I know everyone has secrets, but this seemed to be a lot bigger and more dangerous than a normal one. Maybe I just being paranoid. Ruby was so innocent after all. Of course, that would be the perfect cover-up for something more sinister.

I eventually drifted into the peaceful haze of sleep. For a moment, all my worries temporary floated out of my grasp and out of my mind.

That is, until the nightmare began.

(Line break)

I walked down the worn road. Skeletal trees poked out the pale white mix of crushed ice, burnt ash and broken glass. The gnarled, hairless wolves peeked out of the shadows just beyond the path, yellow eyes judging my every step.

The ground opened up underneath my feet, dropping me into an endless fall. The wolves howled and sprinted down the cliff after me, chanting "_weakness"_ all the way.

I didn't bother to scream. It wouldn't matter anyways. So I fell from heaven silently tears streaming down my stone features.

Then the darkness consumed the world around me, leaving me standing alone with a single lit candle. Shadows reached out with their boney fingers to snuff out the light and drag me under.

_No!_ I fought desperately to stay above the surface, but the darkness was like quicksand. Only a minute passed and I was already neck deep. _No! I refuse! I won't be consumed! I won't be like them!_

"Why do you resist? Nothing will come of it." I froze when I felt frozen breath kiss my neck. "I guess the inability to know when to give up comes with being human. It would be a shame if your life flickered out before that candle did. You're such a fascinating human, so unlike the other selfish maggots that infest this world."

_Is this even a dream anymore?_ "Who are you and why are you here?" I replied, trying in vain to keep the terror out of my voice.

"I have a name, but I choose to go without it. As for the latter, I am curious. You're different from others of your species, and I want to find out why." A razor-sharp claw traced down my jugular and landed on collarbone. "Is it your mindset? Is it your heritage? Your DNA? Your semblance? Or perhaps, it's just your soul…"

Agony sudden smashed through my veins like a runaway train. Red flooded my vision as I tried to comprehend what happened. _What the hell did it do to me?_ I could still feel the mind numbing pain, but it was oddly distant, like I was in a limbo between life and death.

"Weiss!" A faraway voice cried out. "Weiss, please wake up! Weiss! Weiss!" The voice steadily grew louder until it was deafening.

My eyes snapped open to Ruby's panicked face. When our eyes met, her expression morphed into one of relief as she pulled me into a tight hug. "Oh god, Weiss. I thought you were dead!"

"What made you think that? I was just sleeping…" A pounding headache suddenly erupted when I tilted my head slightly. Groaning, I rested my head on Ruby's shoulder. I would normally detest any physical contact, but right now I was in too much pain to fully understand what I was doing.

"You shouldn't move around that much. You were attacked while I was away, though I managed to get here before they could finish you off." The scythe wielder scratched her head sheepishly. "I wish I got a better look them, but they ran off as soon as I arrived…" As Ruby continued rambling, I subconsciously searched for hints if she really went on a walk or not. The huntress wasn't wearing her usual combat attire, which she insisted she needed at all times. Instead, she sported a simple civilian get-up of a dark shirt and pants with a hoodie tried around her waist, almost perfect for blending in a crowded area. But what stood out the most was the fact that her right forearm was coated with dried blood.

"What happened to your arm?" I interrupted.

Ruby looked at me in confusion, glancing at the accused limb then back at me. "Is there something wrong with my arm?"

My eyes narrowed. "How about the fact that is it covered in _blood_?"

The redhead's confused expression worsened. "My arm is covered in blood? Wouldn't I, you know, notice that? Last time I checked, there was no blood on my arm and I checked, like, ten seconds ago."

"But-" Ruby's pale finger met my lips, effectively shutting me up.

"I don't know what that creep did to you, but it's messing with your head. You get some rest. I'll stand guard just in case they decide to come back. Okay?" She smiled reassuringly, like the innocent little girl she was.

Still, I saw something stir behind her eyes. Something whose twisted grin terrified me to the core.

(Omniscient)

The sound of the hardwood door opening broke the silence hanging over the room. The room's lone occupant turned to face the new arrival with a confident smirk. "Ah, you've returned. Do you bring the package?"

The cloaked figure slid a small box containing every file in Beacon's archives across the table.

The woman's dark chuckle echoed off the stone walls. "Give the signal to start the raids, but make sure that everyone has Aura restrictors on them. If anyone is blown up, have them reform somewhere else without witnesses. I don't want any leaks or accidents. Got it?"

The servant nodded in understanding, but lingered in the doorway, her uncovered eye gleaming in hopefulness. Grunting in annoyance, the puppet added, "You can see your daughter, just make sure no one sees you."

A small smile spread underneath her cloth mask as the mute warrior disappeared in a vortex of dark energy. The demon in the mirror stared at the wall, quietly listening to the eavesdropping rat scurry away to report his findings to his master. War was close at hand and the spirit had no time to waste with silly human reconnaissance. All that was left to do was reclaim its long-lost weapon and overthrow the irritating gods that laughed on their thrones while the world around them burned. Then, maybe, the wraith could look at itself in the mirror again.

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**After watching the latest episode, I really want to kill Neptune. I mean seriously. I don't know what Monty was thinking when he thought Weiss and Neptune should hook up. They have no chemistry what so ever. But, Whatever. The U.S.S. Whiterose is still afloat. Barely.**

**Oh, and Ruby's bloody arm is not completely random. There is meaning to my madness. Well, most of the time.**


	2. Chp 2: Fallen From Grace

**After a couple month of isolation (and school. and youtube.), I have finally posted this chapter! There was a lot of action and _PLLLLLOOOOOTTTTTTTTTT _in this chapter, so it took a long time to edit. Hopefully, you all enjoy.  
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**Quick Note: To try and make my (fairly) rare updates more tolerable, I'll be posting teasers that give some insight of the world of Obsidian Roses, which is, if you haven't guessed, is a pretty massive AU. Family trees, ages, powers and a lot of other things have been changed. For example, Yang and Ruby are cousins in this fanfiction, instead of half-sisters. They just call each other sister.**

**Disclaimer: Scroll up and tell me what it says.**

**EDIT: I've added some lyrics to songs under the chapter titles. I feel it adds a bit to the chapters. Also, I've posted a version of this fanfic with pictures/'screenshots' on DeviantART. Check it out! **

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Chapter 2

Fallen from Grace

_"And all the hateful things I have become temporarily go away"_

(Weiss' POV)

I mentally sighed as I watched the others train from the side lines. The only reason I was sitting out was that Ruby had insisted that I take a day off after what happened last night. Part of me was flattered that she cared. The other part was peeved that I was stuck on the bleachers while the others grew stronger.

_Then tell me, how far are you willing to go to achieve that strength? What path will you take to get there?_

Ruby's words echoed hollowly in my head. I still didn't know what she meant by that, no matter how much I labored over it. It wasn't just the words spoken that perplexed me, but the way she said it, like someone else was speaking through her lips.

_What are you hiding?_ I gazed at Ruby's and Yang's sparring forms, carefully taking in every detail. The way she left obvious holes in her guard. The way she would pull her strikes seconds before impact. The way she would blatantly ignore the chinks in her opponent's armor. She was limiting herself, not letting her true strength show. _Why?_ I wondered. _You said you wanted to be stronger to protect the ones that couldn't protect themselves. But if you continue to limit yourself like this, you'll die long before you ever get to taste that cliché dream of yours. _

An image of Ruby, bloodied and fallen from grace, stained itself across my mind. She didn't belong here. She was too young, too innocent to throw her life away without a second thought. I feared the day that all the unrefined skill and potential she possessed would be struck down by fate's cruel hand. The crimson huntress was strong, but not that strong.

I was broken out my thoughts by a horrifyingly familiar Aura creeping into the air. A suffocating Aura that loomed over the training grounds like the shadow of Death itself. _No, it can't be. It was just a dream, right? Then again, dreams can't physically hurt you. They are just haphazard concoctions of random sights and sounds. But the last part seemed almost like reality… Maybe the person that attacked me had the ability to manipulate dreams. Or manipulate thoughts…_

Ruby suddenly paused mid-swing, almost as if she felt it too. Sensing the odd change in her sister, Yang slowed to a halt. "Is something wrong, Ruby?"

The young huntress didn't respond. Instead, she swirled around and sliced viciously at the air behind her. Expecting nothing to be there, surprise shot through me when Crescent Rose's blade collided with an unseen object, whipping up an explosive veil of dust and steam.

Team JNPR lowered their weapons to watch the events unfold across of the arena.

Ever so slowly, the haze started to clear, revealing the edge of a simple black katana fending off the monstrous scythe. I silently drank in the sword wielder's appearance as they were exposed from the mist. The visible half of the assailant's pale-white face was set in an impassive scowl; however, steam continued to cover the other half, like it was hiding a dark secret. A long black trench coat with a bright red lining adorned the now defined female warrior, blowing violently in the wind with her equally dark hair. Molten silver eyes, almost the same shade of Ruby's, glowed with raptorial cunning and strength.

When the last of the haze finally disappeared, I was met with a sight that sent a cold tremor tearing down my spine. A broken Grimm mask in the shape of a human skull with simple black markings covered the right side of her face. The hair framing the mask had been dyed a blood red, almost as if to emphasize the white abnormality.

With a seemingly effortless flick, Crescent Rose was sent spiraling into the ground with its master in tow.

Eyes turning to an enraged red, Yang shifted back into her battle stance. "Who the hell do you think you are?" The stranger met the brawler's glare for a second before her gaze flickered towards me.

"Hey! I'm talking to you, puke-face!"

I felt like a mouse pinned under a lion's claw.

"Are you deaf or something?"

Could she be the one that attacked me last night?

"Hello! Earth to psycho!"

If her goal is to kill me, then why reveal herself now, especially around so many people? It was a stupid move for an assassin, seeing that she was outnumbered seven to one.

No. There was another motive. If this person was half as smart as I think she was, there was something else she was after. Something she needed to cause an uproar to obtain.

"Stop ignoring me!" Yang screamed as she charged at the warrior. The huntress aimed what would have been a devastating blow to the skull, but the assailant sidestepped at the last second. Twirling her sword around, the stranger slammed the handle into Yang's lower back. Stunned, the brawler gagged on the blood dripping from lips before collapsing into a heap on the ground.

"Idiotic." My heart froze in place. The warrior's voice was exactly the same as the one in my dream: inhuman and cold. I didn't know what this person was, but she was far from being human. Vampire? No. Her Aura was at a level impossible to fake, and besides, vampires lacked the masks of their brethren. Faunus? Definitely not.

Turning slightly to face the dumbfounded members of team JNPR, the assailant stated stiffly, "You are Pyrrha Nikos, the world famous fighter."

"Yes, I am…" Pyrrha approached carefully, fear and confusion evident in her eyes.

The demonic warrior raised her blade. "I'm here to challenge you to a duel."

"Really? It looked to me awfully like you were trying to kill us." Ruby spat venomously, the darkness from last night returning to her eyes. In the moment I had looked away, she had retrieved Crescent Rose and moved to her injured sister's side.

A sudden wave of emotion broke the stranger's impassive façade. Longing, desperation, guilt, loneliness, and frustration flashed in her grey eyes before blinking back to stone. Refusing to turn and meet Ruby's gaze, the warrior spoke in a soft yet malicious tone, "So the raven continues to beat its wings in vain, ignorant to the fact that its talon is stuck in corruption's claws and is being dragged under."

Silence was the only response to the stranger's odd words. The look in Ruby's eye signified that she understood the masked woman's meaning and didn't like it one bit.

"I accept your challenge." Pyrrha's voice rose bravely above the stillness. "But only on the conditions that you leave the others out of this and tell me who you are."

"Very well then." I felt the assailant's Aura coil in anticipation like a giant snake. "My true name lost its meaning long ago, but you can call me Black."

Without a sound, the others sat down on the bleachers around me, obviously uneasy with this whole ordeal. Ruby lugged Yang's limp form up the stairs and plopped down beside me. It was crazy, but I felt a lot safer with Ruby so close to me, like the area around her was untouchable to any type of evil. The thought was ridiculous, yet I was still comforted by it.

"I guess I'll just be the referee then." Jaune got out his scroll and shifted around, trying to look as official as possible. "Are you two ready?"

Pyrrha nodded, not taking her eyes off Black motionless figure.

"Alright, begin!"

Not waiting another second, the amazon hurled her shield forward at deadly velocity. Batting away the spiraling piece of steel with her sword, Black dashed to meet Pyrrha head on, dust whipping up in her wake.

And so the mortal dance began.

The javelin and katana seemed to scream as their masters exchanged blows in a fury of unshed blood and sweat. Pyrrha was handling herself well, but it was painfully obvious she was outmatched. Wild and desperate strikes trembled against Black's ever-changing dance of lightning fast ones. I could tell in that look in the dark warrior's silver eyes that losing this battle would mean Pyrrha laying on ground, cold and dead.

After several torturous minutes, the first blow landed. Crimson splattered across the hard packed sand as Milo skewered through the bone and tendon of Black's shoulder. Pyrrha's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry." Battle stance gone, she gently slid her spear out and moved to patch up the wound. "Jaune, why didn't you tell me that her Aura was low?"

"But her Aura bar hasn't moved the entire time!" The blonde defended. I glanced over his shoulder and saw that he was right. Pyrrha's Aura had withered away to 65% while Black was still at 100.

Blake's eyebrows furrowed as she examined the scroll. "It must be a glitch."

"We would be better off if that was the truth." I heard Ruby murmur under her breath.

Black's hand shot up and curled around Pyrrha's throat like a viper striking down on its prey. The huntress only had a second to process what happened before she was thrown across the field and into a vacant set of bleachers.

"Wait one minute!" Jaune said in a vain attempt to stop the demonic warrior. "I'm pretty sure that's illegal!"

Black stood there for a moment, almost if truly considering his words. "Illegal?" The word slipped off her tongue like it was in an alien language. "What part of my actions would be considered _illegal_?"

"Well, uh…" The huntsman scrambled.

Her stance shifted slightly, just enough for me to tell that the rogue was about to lunge forward. I was about to yell out a warning when a loud metallic scream split the air. A shadow pasted over Black's stunned form as a whirling mass of iron descended upon her. With a mighty crash, the steel bulk hit its mark, stirring up yet another dust cloud.

Pyrrha waded out the haze, clutching her shoulder in pain. Jaune was the first to snap out of their daze. Jumping off the bleachers and rushing over to the amazon's side, he asked the question weighing on everyone's minds, "What just happened?"

"I had to kill her." Pyrrha croaked through tears. "I saw it in her eyes. Death. It was like the reaper was right behind her. She was going to slaughter us all whether we raised our swords or not."

I wanted to say that Black wasn't dead, that her Aura was just as strong as before, if not stronger, but something stopped me.

"We need to tell Ozpin about this. If someone like this slipped past the walls, I worry who or what else could get through." Blake said, a hint of concern bleeding through her voice.

A startled cry caught in my throat when I felt the warrior's Aura focus into one potent stream, strong enough to wipe out someone from existence. I had to warn the others, but my mouth couldn't seem to work.

In a heartbeat, everything went to chaos. I was suddenly on my back staring up at a black, stormy sky that seemed more like hell than earth. Wet redness dripped down my face as my conscious started to fade to black.

Then, the whispering started. It began soft and slowly grew into a scream.

A voice rose above the murmuring din. "What have you done?"

"I only did what was necessary." A second voice joined the first.

"Necessary? Necessary! You call almost murdering seven people necessary?"

"We've both done worse. Seven lives doesn't shine a light to the hundreds that have fallen at our feet. Are you just that ignorant or has insanity finally made you blind to the world around you?"

"I'm not the one who ruins everything in this _relationship_." The first spat angrily.

"And I'm not the one clinging to useless fantasies. This world is beyond saving, no matter how much you try. There is only one path left for humanity, though many would rather die than follow it."

"So that's your twisted philosophy? To destroy everything? For a moment I expected something a bit more _human_, but I forget that you're just the opposite."

"And the tiger roars at the lion for killing mice, though it does the same."

The first voice snapped. "_Just shut up already!_ I've had enough of your constant riddles! Why can't you shut up and get out of my head and out of my life."

The second stayed silent for a moment before replying, "You never listen. No matter how hard I try, you disregard me. I'm tired of this endless dance. This time I will _make_ you listen."

"Make me? You forget that your little body you're prancing around in is only temporary. At most, you can only maintain it twenty minutes and you just about out of time. But if you want to fight, who am I to refuse?"

"Resistance only makes this technique even more terrifying. But still I wonder, will you scream like a human when Silence hits, or will you howl like a Grimm?"

Static suddenly stabbed my ears as the world shifted into a distorted greyscale. The assaulting feeling jolted me awake. A primal, desperate instinct to live took over. Finding Myrtenaster on the ground next to me, I lurched to my feet and wildly charged towards the source.

I felt blood splash onto me as the rapier ripped through flesh and bone. _Grimm_ was the only thing I could think when my eyes focused enough to see. A pitch black, humanoid creature stared down at me through the narrow eyeholes on its demonic mask. Its clawed hand caressed my cheek curiously, almost if the creature had never seen a human before. _W-what it this thing? I've never seen a Grimm like this... Is it even a Grimm?_

My body refused to respond as the Grimm silently slid the blade out of its stomach. A low growling emanated from its throat, the sound vibrating in the air like an odd mix of a snarl and a purr.

"You are, indeed, a very interesting human."

(Line Break)

"What do you mean she's dead?"

"I'm sorry, but there was nothing we could do. Her body was already cold by the time we got there." The doctor cowered under Yang's glare.

Right as the fiery huntress was going to pummel him, a steady hand stopped her shaking fist. "Calm down, Yang. Beating people up won't bring her back." Blake's voice cracked a bit at the end. She didn't show it, but Ruby's sudden demise had greatly affected her too.

Seeing his chance, the doctor quickly murmured, "We cleaned up the body, so if you want to see it, just head to room 13," before dashing away.

A lone tear dripped down Yang's face as she collapsed into Blake's arms. "I failed. I failed her. Now she's gone. Gone forever."

"You were knocked out. There wasn't anything you could do." The shadowy huntress cooed into the brawler's blonde mane.

I stared passively at the two, sharing their pain so easily, so shamelessly. Unlike the black and yellow pair, sorrow did not ravage my soul like an incurable plague. The only thing I felt was an all-consuming emptiness that ached like a hole in my chest. What made it worse was the fact that I knew deep in my bones that facing Black at all would be suicide, yet I didn't even make a sound. Now Ruby was dead and Pyrrha nearly so.

Silently leaving my teammates to their own devices, I walked down the blinding white hallways until I found the door labeled "13". Hesitation froze me in place when my hand touched the freezing knob. I could usually feel Ruby's unnaturally lively Aura several rooms away, but nothing of the sort had greeted me when I approached, leaving the air painfully still. Was the doctor right? Was Ruby really…gone? No. No! I must have misheard the doctor and Ruby was really on the other side of the complex, safe and alive.

Steeling myself, I slowly eased the door open. Like a dove suddenly shot from the sky, my hopes crashed. There Ruby lay, like an angel fallen from grace. Stark white bandages were wrapped around her even paler skin, hiding the mortal wounds from sight. The crimson huntress looked so peaceful, as if she was simply napping and would wake up any second.

Reality came crashing down on me. "Ruby," I gasped, tears threating to spill. Deep inside, I had still hoped that this was just a silly dream, just an illusion. I couldn't have been more wrong.

Ruby didn't deserve this. I should have been the one to take the fall. By the way Black's eyes always seemed to wander to me, I knew I had something to do with whatever she was planning. If she was chasing me because of my namesake or some other reason, I had no idea.

Then, I saw something that snapped me out of my thoughts. Clutched in Ruby's freezing hand was the Grimm mask that had adorned Black's face. Did she somehow manage to defeat Black while we were all out? A migraine threatened to take hold as I tried to remember what happened after the blast.

_Resistance only makes this technique even more terrifying._

Nothing came to me but a jumbled mess of images. I must have hit my head. Perhaps the mask had answers.

Timidly, I attempted to ease the item out of my leader's grasp, but her grip was stone.

"May I please see the mask, Ruby?" Madness must have taken over for a second, because I was asking a corpse for permission to take something from its hand, something I rarely asked the living. Despite the absurdity, Ruby's hand relaxed slightly, enough for me to slip the mask out.

The mask was lighter and thinner than I expected it to be: only a bit heavier than a couple sheets of paper. I ran my fingers over the surface. It was almost like skin, incredibly smooth and slightly soft. This couldn't have been man-made. The odd, boney material it was made of was far beyond any plastics and metals man had tamed.

It was even more obvious that it wasn't a Grimm mask. The Grimm's boney armor was thick, heavy and rough, the complete opposite of the one in my hands. Besides, there was no known Grimm with a mask that shape and especially with thick black markings.

Then what is it and why was Black wearing it? I stared blankly at the mysterious mask. My imagination must be running wild today, because I swore I felt it staring back.

Another question occurred to me. Why did the doctors leave this in Ruby's hand? Wouldn't they have needed to get it out of the way to clean her up? Anyways, I should show this to the headmaster…

_No!_

My body locked up as the word burned itself in my mind.

_Everything will be ruined if they know! I haven't even come close to seeing her final wish through!_ A desperate voice echoed in my mind. I knew one thing; it wasn't mine.

"What? W-who are you? Why are you in my head?" My words came out in a panicked jumble.

_To be fair, you were the one who picked me up._ The voice recomposed itself. The panic quickly faded into an awfully familiar monotone calm. _I would really appreciate it if you would not tell anyone about my presence._

"Picked me up..?" I glanced down at Black's mask. Was it possible that it was really talking to me? _I must be insane…_ "Who, or what, exactly are you?"

_I'll tell you who I am _and_ a fact you might not know about your friend here, on the sole condition you help me. _

"Help you with what?"

_If you're lucky, you won't have to do much of anything, but that all depends on how fate rolls the dice. Besides, in my opinion, you are getting the better end of the bargain. _

Gulping, I took the gamble. "Okay. I'll help you."

The voice stayed silent for a moment before speaking, _I'm sorry, I am just a little… unused to people actually listening to me. I guess that's what happens when you've been ignored for most of your existence._ Sorrow leaked its way into the voice's bland tone. _Before I tell you who I am, I'll tell you that one small detail about your friend…_

_She's alive._

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	3. FB 1: The Shadowstalker Incident

**SOOOOOOO... since my chapter updates are so far apart, I decided to throw in some bonus teasers in between chapters. These will be short and sweet, with some insight to the back story. I suggest you ACTUALLY READ THIS (YES I'M TALKING TO YOU RANDOM PERSON ABOUT TO CLOSE THE TAB) for better enjoyment of the story. **

**Also, I did a little update to the end of chapter 1. It's nothing major, just some words changed around. There was a bit of conflict with that part and the later story, but no worries, it's fixed now!**

**Enjoy!**

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**PLEASE NOTE THAT THE YEAR THIS STORY TAKES PLACE IN IS 3046 AD (after dust). Trust me, you will want to know that information. Especially for flashbacks like this one. **

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**The following document has been banned from access for all huntsmen without prior authorization. Please submit a formal request to view. **

…

The "Shadow-Stalker" Incident (November 3025 AD)

Formal Report by Elite Huntsmen Qrow Rose Xiao Long

On November 13th, a village to the due north of Atlas reported the sighting of an unknown Grimm lurking on its borders. It was described to be a more "human" version of an average Beowolf with pitch black skin, minimal armor and a pair of skeletal wings. Despite having wings, this new Grimm has not been reported to fly. Many accounts also reported black markings instead of the usual red on its mask.

This unknown Grimm, dubbed "Shadow-Stalker" by the villagers, had attacked a group of children playing close to the woods around 1 pm. None of the children were hurt, but the small group consisting of Johnathan Connor, Ethan Days, Mitch Fox, and Anthony Marcus weren't so lucky.

Connor bled to death from multiple deep gashes running across his torso.

Ethan Days died by a blunt force trauma to the back of the head.

Fox apparently died by suffocation, though is no sign of being strangled. Autopsy showed no internal injuries or outside bruising.

Marcus suffered odd mutations that literally reworked his internal organs. He died before could be transported to the nearest doctor.

Summer Rose, the huntress posted just outside town, and I swept the forest but found no trace of the creature. I staked out two weeks after that with the same results. We are either dealing with an extremely intelligent Grimm or someone else is behind this.

I must note though, Summer is known for taking out threats before anyone else realizes they're there. It seems odd something this big slipped past her nose. This may be a sign of her old 'condition' returning. I recommend keeping a close eye on her.

**-Document End-**

(Omniscient)

Summer Rose was a naturally patient soul, but there was one person that grinded her gears more that humanly possible. Her older brother, Qrow.

Many described the two siblings as being as different as night and day, yet few really knew how true that was. Though both were gifted with unnaturally strong souls, Qrow's fiery spirit always covered up Summer's calm and shadowy one. Summer had always been faster, stronger and far more cunning than her brother, but again and again she found herself in his shadow.

It had been so tempting to strike him down when he showed up at her door that day, looking to exploit secrets that he could never understand. She pasted on a hollow smile and ignored her darker side. The project could wait, after all. Deep inside, Summer really did loved her brother, but that love was covered up by the knowledge that she and Qrow would never be on the same side.

After all, it was only a slight glitch in their genetic code that carved out the smoking chasm between them. Summer had always saw through the mist creeping up the cracks, but Qrow could not and would never see past the haze that divided them. And that was why, when the time came, she wouldn't hesitate.

But that time was not now.

"It there something wrong, Summer? You seem a little distracted."

The huntress sighed and closed her notebook. "It's nothing really. Just thinking."

"That's not your 'just thinking' face," Ironwood sat down next to her. "Now, what's the matter?"

For a second, Summer considered telling the truth, but she quickly struck the thought down. How could she ever explain the jealousy she had for her brother without spilling the secret that held her hostage far beyond the world he knew? How would she explain the demon lurking in the mirror?

"It's about that incident a few weeks back, isn't it?" The General continued when he wasn't given an answer. "Don't let Qrow get to your head, what happened isn't not your fault. Mistakes happen, lives are lost. Sadly, it can't be helped. Not now, anyway."

A tear was halfway down her cheek before Summer realized she was crying. He didn't understand. He _couldn't_ understand. At the end of the day, the fault was hers alone. Summer shouldn't have let _it_ indulge in its curiosities so much. She knew something like this would happen, and yet, she let it continue.

Sometimes, she wondered why fate was so cruel.

But then she remembered that she had been far crueler that night.

Those villagers never had a ghost of a chance.

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**What have you done, Summer? You knew that were bad at Super Smash Bros! (Haha.. lame joke)**


	4. Chp 3: The Demon that Cried

**You pretty much all know this, but Monty Oum died recently. I wanted to postpone this chapter to write something to honor him, but right now, I'm sticking to what I already had written. The teaser after chapter 4 will be in his honor.**

**Anyway, about the teasers. They are more like mini-chapters that actual teasers. Most of them will be focused on Summer, since the events happening right now are linked closely to her. _PLEASE DO NOT SKIP THEM_._ THEY ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE REGULAR CHAPTERS._ **

**That being said, I decided to dabble into Ruby's POV a little earlier than I originally planed. The section is short, but it does fall into the Trigger Warning category. If your sensitive to that, feel free to skip to Weiss' POV.  
**

**Also, I am separating this story into Arcs. This one is called Awakening. **

**Enjoy.**

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Chapter 3

The Demon that Cried

_"This pain so deep in my chest,_

_I am most surely a heretic_

_a sentimental android."_

(Omniscient)

The White Fang lieutenant has always prided himself to be the most hardened and ruthless members of his battalion, but no amount of experience could have prepared him for this.

They descended upon the main base from nowhere like a pack of rabid wolves. There was no warning: not one sign of the coming storm. In mere seconds, most of the White Fang forces had been mercilessly swept away.

What disturbed him the most was the composition of the invading army. Humans and faunus, most of them ex-White Fang, fighting side by side like brothers and sisters. Such a thing couldn't be possible, yet there it was, a single army united under a single flag. A flag that bore a painting of a raven carrying a broken sword in its talon.

There was also a third group, of what the lieutenant could only call demons. They looked like regular faunus and humans, but that's where the similarities ended. Embers plucked from Hell itself burned in their eyes as they hacked and slashed through his comrades. There was no resolve to fight or will to live: the things that separated man from animal, just a bottomless pit of undying fire.

Panting, the rebel stopped to catch his breath. He didn't know how long he had been running, just that he had to report this to the White Fang's leader as fast as possible.

"You look rather worse for wear." The faunus glanced up to see a stunning raven-haired woman with equally black eyes staring down at him. Though the lieutenant could not sense it, a dark, shapeless being was lurking behind the new arrival, quietly inspecting him.

"Go away! Don't you know who am I?" He snapped.

The woman pretended to think for a moment before replying, "No, I do not. Would you mind enlightening me?"

"I don't have time to waste on you." The faunus growled, revving up his chainsaw to kill.

Anyone who could gaze pass the realm of flesh and bone and into the plane of souls would see that the faunus was doomed. He only possessed a tiny spark of a soul, slightly bigger and stronger than the average but really nothing in the end. A chaotic crescent of pitch-black energy lay twitching in the stranger's chest, bleeding out darkness to form the creature behind her. One may spent hours staring at them, trying to figure out if they were looking at two separate beings or one single soul. The answer, of course, was both and neither.

The lieutenant charged, his wicked chainsaw screaming to claim another victim, but its calls were let unanswered. He wasn't quite sure what happened after that. One moment, he was fine, the next, he was lying face down on the pavement, dying.

The faunus could only watch as his body turned to dust, flesh and bone decaying to cinders in a matter of seconds. He used his remaining strength to gaze up at his executioner.

All traces of fabricated kindness had long since fled her eyes, leaving only frigid ice. "Don't look at me like that. You're the one that pretended to be something you're not." The woman tore his 'Grimm' mask off and threw it to the ground, shattering it into a million pieces. "Since you want to be like us so badly, you'll die like we do: Soul slowly fading away while your body withers away to dust."

Then, the White Fang lieutenant was gone. The wind caught his ashen remains and carried them away, never to be seen again.

"And the body count grows ever larger…" The host sighed, searching the pavement for forgiveness.

The demon placed a shadowy hand on her shoulder and whispered, "Remember. Remember the sorrow. Remember the pain. Remember who and what we are. And, remember the one that _he_ longs to possess. The one we swore to protect."

"Yes. I remember, Nyx…" She hiccupped slightly before disappearing back into the shadows. The darkness that sheltered creatures like herself.

(Ruby's POV)

I screamed, but there was no one to hear me. Claws dug deeper into my flesh as the Monster's chaotic laughter grew louder.

_It's not real,_ I chanted to myself. _It's just a memory. It's not real…_

Seven years have passed since that day. Seven whole years, but its horrors were still fresh in my mind.

"Ruby? Ruby!" An all too familiar voice called out. My mother emerged from the flames threatening to consume the sky.

The Monster hissed and pulled on the strings that imprisoned me. I could do nothing but watch as my body lurched forward and ran the bloodied blade through her heart.

The look in my mother's obsidian eyes was one I would never forget. She reached out and caressed my cheek with shaking hands. Her mouth opened to say something but was blocked by the senseless white noise stabbing at my ears.

"Mom?" I managed to choke out through the overwhelming bloodlust.

"The light… why does it burn so much..? Are we not equals... to our own brethren?" Blood silently dripped down her lips as my mother's wheezing body finally became still.

_No…. no… _I remembered the tearing ache and all-consuming anger, like someone had ripped out my human heart and replaced it with a demon's. Something had taken over that night and dragged me down a path I never wanted to walk. Now, there wad only emptiness inside. Emptiness that I covered up with a plastered smile and fake laughter.

_I can't take this any longer._ I thought as I fell deeper into my own abyss. _Please, just end it. Please, just let me die._

_I just want to die._

(Weiss' POV)

"Ruby's alive!" I practically shouted. Recomposing myself, I added, "If she's alive why did the doctors pronounce her dead?"

_Well…_ The voice hesitantly started. _It's a bit hard to explain… You see, there is a fragile link between the soul and the body, and if it is disrupted, the body will shut down or 'die' in the common man's terms. That is not true death. Someone truly dies when their soul finally decays from a lack of a stable 'vessel' that can support it._

My hopes settled into a stone at the bottom of my stomach. "So you're saying that she's still alive, but is doomed to die any second?"

The voice scoffed slightly. _I never said that. You are simply assuming thing before I get a chance to finish!_

Sighing, I let the mysterious being continue, but my hopes only sunk lower. I had a feeling that there was no saving Ruby, despite what the voice said.

_As I was saying, there are naturally a wide variety of souls. Most are fairly weak and highly dependent on their bodies, but there are some that are some strong enough to effect the world around it with their Auras. I'm sure you're familiar with this concept. The more powerful members of this group are known to have extreme regenerative abilities, some to the point of cheating death multiple times in a row. Your friend happens to have this ability, so don't worry about it. In a month or two, she'll probably be good as new._

"Ruby can regenerate?" I echoed softly, feeling slightly betrayed. "Then why did Yang seem so convinced that Ruby was dead? She's her sister. She of all people should know."

_Your friend most likely hid it from the world in fear of being judged. This kind of power, at her level, is extremely rare, especially at her age._ The voice spoke in an oddly personal tone, like it had gone through the exact same thing. _Being that powerful is almost like being a freak of nature, especially in the eyes of some. There are always people out there that don't accept the unnatural. People like that would kill their own _kin_ just because they are different._

I stood there for a moment, silently processing this new information. Is this what you've been hiding all this time? Do you not trust us enough to share your burden?But, there is still a lot of things that don't add , she could easily avoid being discovered by simply being cautious in battle, yet she used all her will to restrain her physical abilities. It wasn't obvious, but if you looked close enough, you would see it. And there is still that dark void that often flashes in her eyes, like she had seen something that traumatized her beyond belief.

_What happened to you, Ruby?_ I thought to myself as I took up my leader's pale hand, reassured by a faint beating. It was weak and sluggish, but a pulse none the less. That meant Ruby was still here, still hanging on. Honestly, I didn't care about if Ruby was some sort of prodigy or freak. All I cared about was that she was alive.

Suddenly, Ruby's hand crushed down on mine with a wet crunch. Before I could properly react, I found myself pinned down. Soulless red eyes stared down at me, burning with unquenchable hunger.

"R-ruby?" I squeaked.

_No! Weiss!_ The voice screamed at the back of my mind. _It isn't! Move! Move now, while still have a chance!_

'Ruby' cackled like a deranged mental patient. "It hurts, doesn't it? To be betrayed by your own leader. She never trusted you, not one bit. In fact, she wants to kill all of you. You saw it yourself, in that bloody-red book. Too bad she can't, because she's _dead_!"

My mind reeled, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"Aw, is someone at a loss for words?" 'Ruby' tsked in false pity. "Not even you, almighty predator of human and Grimm? No, I don't believe it!" She rapped on my forehead like one would a door. "Are you asleep in there? Taking a little catnap? I don't blame you after that display. Do you know what would have made it even better? If you had _actually_ killed them. But of course, you didn't even try. I don't see how they are so different from all the other _huntsmen_ you have slaughtered in the past. Then again, I don't understand anything about you, even though I spawned from your own soul."

"That's the difference between you and me," The words echoed from my mouth though I was not the one who spoke them. My body was acting on its own, moving without my consent, like someone had taken control. I was only an observer in my own body. "All you seek is to consume. It doesn't matter who or what it is, if it has a beating heart, you will try to devour it!"

'Ruby's' crimson eyes narrowed. "And tell me, what is the difference between mindless ingestion and mindless destruction? You claim to be higher than me, to feel the things humans call 'emotions'. Tell me, what did you feel when you laid waste to that little village outside of Atlas? Or did you feel anything at all? You live up to your name, Azrael, or should I say, Shad-?"

My unbroken hand shot up and hoisted 'Ruby' into the air by her neck.

"Don't ever say that name again, Grimm." I felt the puppet master's rage boiling in my veins. "That name belongs a demon who is long since dead. It no longer applies to me. _You_ are the one who lives up to your namesake, Red. Red like the blood you love so much."

The puppet master forced my hand tighter around Red's neck. She gagged for air and slowly her cold crimson eyes faded back into Ruby's soft silver. They gazed down hollowly at me, obscure emotions shinning in them.

A hoarse whisper echoed from her throat. "Weiss..."

Reality came crashing down on me all at once.

_NO!_ I screamed, struggling against the puppet master's hold. _I won't let you kill Ruby!_

The voice yelled out in vain. _Wait! It's not what you think! I'm trying to save-_

I broke free, silencing the puppet master and regaining control of my body. Ruby's still body crashed to the ground with a wet thunk.

"Ruby!" I rushed over to my fallen leader's side. "Ruby! Oh god…"

Fresh blood welled up on the bandages so slow, as if to taunt me: _She could have been saved, but you just had to screw up and ruin everything!_ Ruby's eyes had rolled up inside her head so only the white of her eyes showed up through her open lids. Her skin had grown even paler.

"No…" I cried out weakly, tears finally spilling. Gathering up her corpse, I buried my face in Ruby's shoulder, not caring about the blood seeping onto me. "No…"

The soft click of claw on tile caused me to finally look up. My breath caught in my throat as the memories of what happened after the blast all came back to me.

"You…" The creature seemed to wince slightly at the venom in my voice. I wasn't quite sure how it got in here, seeing that it had to bend over not to touch the ceiling, but that didn't matter right now. "You controlled me…" I unsheathed Myrtenaster. "And you made me kill my own leader…"

It all made sense now. This Grimm could somehow control what a person sees and feels. This whole day I have been under its influence and I hadn't even noticed. That's why nothing seemed to add up. _Right?_

_I will avenge you, Ruby. I promise._

With a fierce battle cry, I charged.

(Omniscient)

The door clicked shut as Weiss Schnee exited the room 13. Silently, she headed back to her dorm room, where this all began.

"Weiss…" Jaune started when he saw her walking by. She didn't respond.

Even an idiot like Jaune could tell something was off. Perhaps it was that her shoulders weren't squared like they usually were, or the fact that her heels weren't making a ghost of a sound.

"Hey, Weiss!" Jaune caught up with her and grabbed her by the shoulder, the worst mistake he could have made.

Weiss finally stopped and turned to face him.

The blonde could not suppress the gasp that escaped his lips. "You aren't Weiss…"

"Whatever gave you that idea?" The voice that echoed from Weiss' throat was in fact feminine, but much older and deeper than Weiss' real voice.

Before he could react, Azrael struck him across the head with inhuman strength and speed, effectively knocking him out. After gazing down at the huntsman for a second, she continued on her way.

_I guess our deals off, Weiss._ The demon thought to her unconscious host. _Not that it was as much a deal as a way to justify myself. _

Keeping her head down, the possessed huntress tried to pass by her teammates unnoticed. This failed as the now calm Yang stopped her by saying, "She's pretty bad off, isn't she?" There was a broken laugh in the blonde's voice, like everything was just a sick joke.

Azrael had heard that voice too many times in her short life. The voice of a soul who had paid a heavy debt that they weren't prepared to. The voices that gathered into a howling symphony at the back of her mind. Together they cried and tore in agony at their killer's all too sensitive heart. Cringing, the demon ate the accursed organ, swallowing all her emotions down. This mask of stone was the only thing that kept her from breaking down, and she could not risk discarding it now.

Monsters weren't supposed to feel. They only lived to kill and sin without a second thought. Then why did Azrael have sentiment? The humans had always hunted her, raising their torches and pitchforks and crying out, "Kill the monster! Kill the beast!" If she was meant to be a monster, born to be a heartless killer, why did the pounding muscle in her chest hurt so much? Deep inside, she didn't want any of the agony that she inflicted upon all that crossed her path. She wanted to help them, to make them happy, but she couldn't. The dragon could never take the place of the knight. The darkness could never live in harmony with the light. Many people say that life's not a fairy tale, but it acts like one. It paints people black and white, good and evil, without bothering to see the grey that exists in more abundance than the black and white.

Pulling herself out of her personal abyss, Azrael risked looking up. Yang's eyes were dead, drowning in denial. A humorless smile was whittled onto her lips to try to cover it all up.

_I did this,_ was the only thing the demon could think. _I caused them this pain. If I had never existed, they wouldn't have to go through this._

No longer able to hold Yang's gaze, Azrael turned away and continued on her trying journey, water beginning to well up in her eyes.

Silently, the tears worked their way down as she walked. Azrael wiped them off and looked down at her damp hand. They reminded her of Weiss crying over Ruby's two 'deaths'. _Are these tears the same ones that Weiss shed when she was in control, or are they, truly, my tears, even if they came from the same body?_ the demon wondered. _Was I even able to cry in my original body? I don't remember… It's been too long. Far too long._

Blake stared at Azrael's fleeing form. "Is it just me, or did Weiss seem a bit…off?"

"Death does that to people." Yang responded numbly, "Ruby was never the same after her mother died. She was always a fairly happy person, but she was never so rash before… it happened. She always thought ahead and noticed the details everyone seemed to miss. Then, Ruby turned into someone else. An overly happy stranger wearing my sister's skin. She said she wanted to become a huntress, a path she said to me several times wasn't right for her."

Blake's hidden cat ears perked up slightly. "I thought it was always her dream to become a huntress."

The pain in Yang's eyes intensified. "That's what she always said, and to her it was the truth. Whatever happened that day killed the old Ruby and replaced her with… this. I still love her… but some days I just want to see the old her again."

Azrael sat down in team RWBY's dorm room, finally free of the sorrows of Beacon's medical wing. The demon looked at her host's reflection in the mirror sadly._ I'm sorry._ She thought, touching the honest glass. _I'm so very sorry…_

(Weiss' POV)

Groaning, I slowly rose into a sitting position. _Damn it, where am I now?_ I thought as I looked around.

It wasn't anywhere in Beacon, that's for sure. The walls where pitch black with some white 'windows' littering them, giving the room a very monochrome and slightly unreal look. The burnished floor was also a deep black, reflecting a mirror image of the chamber below me.

This didn't seem real. Then again, these past two days didn't seem quite real either, like it was just some sort of fever dream. That would explain all the crazy happenings that has been happening, from Ruby's creepy book to that weird talking Grimm. All I need to is wake up and everything will be back to normal.

Still, there was this nagging at the back of my mind that told me that this isn't something I could simply 'wake up' from. That this was real. All of it was real.

Shaking the thought out of my head, I stood up and turned to hopefully leave this nightmare.

"If you're looking for an exit, there's none that way." Freezing, I looked back behind me for the source of the voice. A dark figure made completely of shadows sat at a dark wood table with a chess board set up on it. _What? They weren't there a second ago!_

The specter motioned to the empty chair. "Come, sit down. You look a bit tired. Had a long day?"

"No thank you." I replied in a cold tone, carefully observing the new arrival. "I'm quite fine standing."

The specter stayed silent, seemly sizing me up too. The feeling of being trapped washed over me for the second time today. Just like with Black, the sensation of being the prey of a predator stirred in my gut. Only this time, it was like having a tiger stalk you in plain sight. I had a feeling I would have more luck with a tiger than whoever this is.

The wraith suddenly burst out laughing. "I can see why Azrael took a liking to you. You're quite peculiar, for someone of your… race." All the humor drained out of its voice as fast as it came. "You're lucky that your little _ruckus_ managed to slip by undetected. If someone had noticed… let's just say the cleanup would involve a high body count."

I toke a cautious step back when I realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. All of this was fake, nothing but a fantasy. Nothing here could hurt me. "Don't bother talking. I know you aren't real."

"Is that what you think?" The specter asked after a brief silence. "That's a shame. And here I expected a nice chat, but you had to ruin it."

"Look, I don't care about your little _chat_," I snapped. "I just want to wake up from this stupid dream!"

"Very well then," The wraith said as thick smoke began to flood the chamber. "Run back to your hole little Rabbit, but remember one thing. I can be your greatest ally or your deadliest enemy. It's your choice. All your choice."

And with that, the smoke swallowed me.

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**Really, Weiss? You realize you just pissed off one of the most powerful beings in the universe? That's definitely not going to come back to bite you. Anyway, chainsaw guy was turned to dust, Azrael became a school teacher, Jaune was bitch slapped, Ruby died for the millionth time, and Weiss is in denial. Just another day at the office.  
**

**Follow, Favorite and Review.**


	5. FB 2: Visions

**Wow, has it only been a month since I uploaded? That's a new record! I have actually been sitting on this for a while to minimize the time between this update and the next chapter(which should be out within a week). Anyway, do you like these little 'mini-chapters' or would you rather I just upload chapters? I need your feedback ('cause it feels like I'm talking to an empty chair).**

**Also, I have decided to separate this story into a trilogy, since the overall plot is VERY long and slow. The second 'book' will be called Colorless Roses and the third is War-torn Roses. **

**More stuff about Ruby's most likely homicidal mom! Yea! **

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February 3018 AD

(Omniscient)

Summer never liked social gatherings. Hell, she barely walked into town for 'normal' stuff unless she _really_ had to. Perhaps it was because she felt like she didn't belong, or maybe the shadows were too hard to leave. Whatever the case, this wasn't an event Summer could skip.

"Come on, it can't be _that _bad," The wolf faunus beside her chided. "They're only your old classmates."

"And Qrow," The dark huntress murmured under her breath.

"And Ozpin. And Cinder." Sibyl continued. "I thought you liked your team."

"But I don't like my brother…"

"You haven't seen them for almost two years. This is a good time to catch up."

Summer huffed. "Fine, but you owe me."

_This is what I have to deal with on a daily basis. _Sibyl shook her head and opened up the large oak wood doors leading to Beacon's ballroom. Sighing, Summer followed her roommate, knowing there was nothing she could do to change her fate.

The dark huntress was swirling around her _totally-not-spiked_ drink when she heard someone call her name. She turned to face a rather attractive woman she had never seen before.

"You're Summer Rose, right?" The new arrival asked, silently hoping she didn't mix up her boyfriend's sister with someone else. That would not be a good first impression.

Summer raised an eyebrow. "I am." _This better not be one of _his_ goons._

The mysterious woman sighed in relief. "Oh, good… Anyway, I'm Jennifer Xioa Long, Qrow's girlfriend."

Summer's reaction was not what Jennifer expected it to be. "So you're the lucky catch Qrow has been bragging about on the phone." Her voice was cold, the complete opposite of her namesake. "My brother is a bit of a playboy. Keep that in mind." Jennifer felt the huntress' gaze studying her like a scientist would a rare animal.

Qrow had warned her about his shadowy sister, and until now, Jennifer had brushed it off as sibling rivalry. But now she could see that Qrow's paranoia was justified.

The dark huntress had her silky black hair styled with the right half of her bangs were pinned back while the left side fell over her eye. Some of the hair in the back had been woven into a braid with the rest freely cascading down. Pitch black eyes with hints of dark silver around her reptilian pupils stood out against her abnormally pale skin. Summer's features were boney and sharp, like a hawk's or raven's. Summer was indeed quite beautiful, yet Jennifer could sense something twisted just beneath the skin.

Jennifer looked away, unable to match the dark huntress' gaze any longer. Neither woman tried to break the silence hanging between them for a long while. The blonde didn't notice, but there was something stirring in the mirror hanging next to them.

"_She knows something_," The demon in the mirror growled. "_I don't know what, but I have a feeling it is something she shouldn't. We must fix this before the day is done, my dear host_."

Clinching her fist, Summer ignored the demon's words. She wouldn't kill Jennifer, not until she was certain that she knew too much. Even then, a few damaged brain cells could cover up her tracks. She didn't need to kill, not yet.

Jennifer felt like running when she saw the violent shift in Summer's eyes, but she couldn't. The dark huntress' presence was like a mighty lion's paw, pinning her down until the death blow came.

"Summer?" A new voice broke the tense silence, to the relief of the blonde. Sibyl's emerald eyes flickered curiously between Jennifer and Summer, carefully analyzing the situation.

Summer's eyes instantly lit up and demon temporary faded. "Yes?"

"Cinder's looking for you. Go be social."

The dark huntress' smile quickly faded. "But I don't wanna be social! I just want to stand in this corner for the rest of the night," she pouted like a little kid.

Jennifer glanced at Summer, then back at Sibyl. The blonde would be lying if she said that she wasn't unnerved at all by this exchange.

Leaning forward, the wolf faunus whispered something in her roommate's ear. Immediately, Summer's face flushed red. "You wouldn't dare."

"Yes, I would." Sibyl pulled back. "Now shoo."

The dark huntress ran off faster than a beowolf in full stride, disappearing into the crowd. Jennifer just stared at the spot where Summer had been standing seconds before in disbelief. "How?" was the only thing she could say.

The brunette didn't answer the blonde's question. "You think Summer's a murderer, don't you?"

"Excuse me?" Jennifer said, surprised at Sibyl's bluntness.

She found herself once again pinned down by an unwavering gaze. "I don't know what Qrow told you, but it isn't true. Summer is a kind soul who is simply misunderstood by almost everyone around her."

Jennifer shifted uncomfortably. "But she looked at me with such suspicion…"

"It's her job to be," Sibyl said as if it were obvious. "She's a vampire hunter, one of the most dangerous and elite paths a huntsman can take, and she's one of the best ones out there. In only a few years, she has hunted down ten times the amount of vampires that others do in a lifetime."

The wolf faunus lightened up slightly and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Well, anyway-"

A sudden wave of nausea struck Sibyl and Jennifer as the world around them distorted and shifted into another one. A world they were only observers in.

_Of all the times my semblance had to act up,_ Sibyl growled.

Inky black smoke crawled across the ground like a swarm of dark-haired rodents. Three figure, all seemly injured, broke through the ashy sea.

"We can't do this," the brown-haired man shouted to his comrades. "It's too powerful. It's only a matter of time before we are overwhelmed! We need to retreat now!"

A muscular woman with a wild golden mane replied with rage, "And what? Let _it_ win and enslave the rest of humanity? Don't you remember what it has done? How many innocent lives it has claimed?"

"You can run, but we are not backing down." The dark-haired cat faunus added. "This thing killed our leader and almost the rest of us. I'm not going to let her memory be in vain."

The huntsman opened his mouth to reply, but didn't get the chance. A humanoid Grimm-like creature burst out of the smoke, huge bat-like wings fanning out behind it. He didn't have time to scream before his life was taken by the creature's needle-like claws.

Jennifer shrieked in terror, while Sibyl's expression remained stone. _An illusion,_ the faunus noted,_ A convincing one, but an illusion none the less. _

"Damn you!" The blonde huntress screamed, white-hot flames igniting around her. She charged forward like a bull, fists raised and eyes red. Just as she was about to pummel the creature, the illusion faded, leaving only empty air.

The huntress slid to a stop and wildly looked around for her target. "What the- Where did that bastard go? Do you have any ideas, Blake?"

The faunus was about to answer when static suddenly filled the air and the world turned monochrome. It stopped just as fast as it came.

"Blake?" The brawler turned around then gasped in horror.

Her partner was lying face down in the rubble, unmoving, with a tall, black-cloaked figure towering over her. A black katana with a glowing red pattern on the blade and a chain attached to the hilt that wrapped itself around the stranger's arm hung loosely in her grasp. The stranger stared at the huntress with cold, unfeeling eyes.

Then, it was over.

The static-filled, monochrome world reappeared for a millisecond and the stranger rematerialized behind the fiery huntress. The blonde stood there for a moment before her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she too fell from life's embrace.

The vision ended as suddenly as it began. Jennifer jumped back from Sibyl's touch, trying in vain to process the horrors of what she just saw. Sibyl stood there with an eerily calm expression.

"W-what was that?" Jennifer gasped when she finally regained her voice.

Sibyl turned and left, ignoring the other woman's distress. Silently, she weaved her way through the crowd towards where Summer and Cinder were chatting.

"I mean, seriously! Where did these myths come from?" Summer asked her amber-eyed partner. "Burning in the sun, drinking blood? Vampires are just Grimm that look like humans and emit a false Aura. Really, the only things dangerous about them is that some retain their former abilities."

"And the fact that they are hard to decipher from regular humans without a blood test." Cinder took a sip of her red wine. "Not everyone can see and sense souls like you can."

Summer was about to answer when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Dark green met black and all humor evaporated from Summer's face. "I'm sorry, but I have to take care of something right quick."

Cinder could sense the tension in the air as she watched them leave. Rolling her eyes, she let it go. The huntress was more than used to her former partner's strange behavior; she had no reason to be suspicious. Summer was odd, but she wasn't some sort of psychopath bent on world domination.

Right?

* * *

**Sibyl is an EXTREMELY important character, so I suggest you remember her name (and her semblance).**


	6. Chp 4: Clotted Blood

**Sorry this chapter is a little late. It was a little short, so I took some extra time to add in some more things. **

**Anyway, I NEED YOU GUY'S OPINIONS! I usually put teasers in between the chapters, but I feel that is slowing down the story, so I'm going to change up where I put the teasers. I could do... **

**-post a teaser after the chapters that are a multiple of 5 (in between 5-6, 10-11, 15-16, etc) **

**-Post a teaser after every two chapters**

**-post a teaser after ever three chapters**

**-post a teaser at the beginning and ending of each arc**

**-don't' do teasers at all**

**-or something else (please specify)**

**Launch me a PM or review telling me what you would prefer. **

* * *

Chapter 4

Clotted Blood

_"When we start killing, it all will be falling down_  
_ From the Hell that we're in_  
_ All we are is fading away"_

(Omniscient)

"So this woman faced down a White Fang with a chainsaw, completely unarmed, and caused him to turn to dust." The officer stared at the shaggy teen in front of him. "Do you really think that I would even _start_ to believe this absurd story?"

"But it's the truth! Here, I managed to get a picture of her," the teenager slipped a photo out of his jacket and placed it on the table.

The policeman took one glance at the snapshot before exploding, "Is this some sort of joke to you! The person in this picture has been dead for seven years! Get out of here before I throw you out!"

The scamp yelped and scuttled out the door.

"What was that all about?" Turning, the officer faced his worried secretary. Was it just him or did her eyes seem ever so slightly darker?

"It was nothin'. Just some dumb kid." He huffed before handing her the picture. "Mind shredding this?"

She silently nodded and walked away, passing by the closet where the real secretary was stowed away. The imposter smiled gleefully as she filed the fake report with the photo into the cabinet. The bait was set. Now, all she had to do was wait for the white king to move. With all the trouble Azrael riled up, the wait wouldn't be a long one.

(Weiss' POV)

Light filtered through my eyelids as I finally arose from the nightmare I've been trapped in for what seemed like eternity. Rubbing the sleep out of my eyes, I stretched glancing around the dorm. Midday light peered into the empty room.

_Why didn't the others wake me up?_ I thought as I slid out of bed. _Wait a minute,_ I glanced down at myself. _Why am I wearing my combat gear?_

Before I could question anything else, the bathroom door creaked open, revealing the person I had hoped to be only a figment of my imagination.

"Oh, you're awake," Black smiled uncharacteristically, her demonic mask seemingly mirroring it. She held out Myrtenaster like she was offering it to me. "I cleaned and sharpened-"

"How the hell did you get in the real world?" I shouted, pointing an accusing finger.

"Um… I was always here?" The warrior glanced around, unsure of what to do.

My eyes widened. "Wait, if you're real, that means everything that happened today…" Realization dawned on me. "I wasn't dreaming… Everything's real… Ruby's dead..."

Suddenly, Black's hand shot out and clubbed me in the ear. I instinctively fell into a combat stance when I realized that Myrtenaster was still in her grasp. She stood there, staring at me lazily, making no move to attack again. "For someone at the top of their class, you have a pretty thick skull."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" I growled. "You just murdered a student. Once they find out you're here, they'll be on you like flies to carrion."

Black rolled her eyes and collapsed onto Blake's bed. "Bonehead."

"Says the person who has a skull mask on."

The demonic warrior ignored me, choosing instead to flip through one of Blake's books. She had set Myrtenaster down next to her.

Seizing my chance, I lunged forward, grabbing my rapier and stabbing at Black. Myrtenaster imbedded itself in the wall with a dull thunk.

"For the record, that was the third time you have stabbed me today." She noted dryly. "No matter how much you want me to be, I am not a pincushion, nor do I have a body to use as a pincushion." The warrior turned the page, paying no heed to the blade "impaling" her.

_What the hell?_ I reached out to touch her but my hand only met empty air where flesh and bone should have been. _Is she some sort of hologram? Or maybe a ghost? But ghosts don't exist… Though with all that's happened, ghosts don't seem too farfetched._

"Can you stop sticking your hands inside me? It's quite annoying."

I jumped back with a startled "eep!" My face flushed bright red. "Couldn't you have said that differently? Pervert!"

Black smiled innocently. Well, as innocently as someone wearing a demonic mask could be.

"And what's with the personality change?" I questioned. "You were trying to kill us an hour ago, and now you're being friendly. What's with that?"

She sat down the book and slid Myrtenaster out of the wall with a quiet sigh. "I wasn't trying to kill anyone. I was trying to lure out someone."

_So I was right; she was making a show._ "And I take it whoever you lured out killed Ruby."

"_I already told you twenty times that she's alive_!" Her voice rose to a dangerous level. "Can't you get that simple fact through your head?"

I jumped slightly at Black's reaction not understanding why she got so angry.

Letting out a deep breathy sigh, she straightened up and smoothed out the wrinkles in her jacket. "I apologize. I shouldn't have gotten so… worked up. You must be feeling quite overwhelmed, with everything happening at once. I don't blame you."

"Wait. So you were that voice inside my head? What were you even doing there? What are you even doing _here_?"

"Is it a crime to try to befriend you? You are my new host after all."

"Wait! Host?" I said a bit too loudly.

"If you hadn't figured it out yet, I am a singular soul without a body of my own." Black stuck her hand through the wall as an example. "I exist on a parallel plane to one where you and every other living creature reside. That's why my interactions with objects in this world are so limited. For instance, if someone else walked into this room, they would have no idea I was here, even if I stood right in front of them. But even then, I require an anchor just like everyone else."

"Then how did everyone see you when you attacked Pyrrha?"

"It's a parlor trick, really. I focus and partly solidify my Aura to interact with this world. Doing that on a large scale creates the illusion of me having a physical body. It is very limited and energy-consuming process. I can barely maintain it twenty minutes before passing out." The warrior ran her fingers through her hair. "Jeez, I feel like a school teacher."

"Okay, one last question. What's with the Grimm mask?" In reality, I had more questions, but I felt it would be a bad idea to annoy Black further.

"First, it's not a Grimm mask. Second, it is kind of my face."

I stared at her blankly.

Black continued with a sigh. "As you can see, I'm not exactly human. To honest, I'm not sure what I am. I assure you I am not a Grimm, thought I look awfully like one in my true form. The form I'm in right now is actually just an illusion made from the appearance of my past host. I really look like this."

Suddenly, the creature from the explosion took Black's place in the blink of an eye. I then began to see the parallels between them.

Both of them were unnaturally tall, though her human form was only a couple inches above average while her true form easily towered above eight feet. The broken bone-like mask adorned the creature's face the same way, but the uncovered part was a featureless void. Glowing grey eyes with snake-like pupils peered down at me. It's red and black hair was slightly shorter but kept the same basic style as Black's.

The creature had a hunched posture like a beowolf's, signaling that it could easily walk on either its hind legs or all four. Boney spikes protruded from the creature's spine, elbows and knees. Two skeletal wings were folded loosely against its back. The creature's build was fairly ambiguous having muscles similar to both male and female ones. It was also devoid of any obvious organs to point to a certain gender.

"Yeah, I don't look very friendly, do I?" Black rubbed her arm and looked away nervously. "I don't blame you for assuming I was a Grimm those two times."

"Sorry if I offend you, but," I approached carefully, "are you a girl?"

The warrior turned demon burst out laughing.

My face flushed red. "It's a legitimate question!"

"I know. I know." The laughter died down to tiny chuckles. "I shouldn't be laughing, but I expected a more… critical question. To answer that, I technically have no gender, but I choose to be female."

Black shifted back into her human form just as someone knocked on the dorm door. I quickly sat down on my bed and pasted on a neutral expression before the door creeked open.

Blake lingered in the doorway for a second, cat-like eyes focused solely on me. She quietly sat down on the bed opposite to mine. "Are you happy now?" Her words were laced with a venom I knew not the origin of.

"Excuse me?" I snapped. Why would she every think I would be happy at a time like this?

My teammate's eyes narrowed. "Black killed Ruby." The said warrior cried out in frustration and flopped onto the floor. "Since you're her partner, you are automatically appointed leader until the matter is formally resolved, so says The Death Protocols."

"Death Protocols exist?" Black spoke up from her place on the floor. "I guess that makes sense, but it is pretty twisted."

My mind went to a grinding halt. I stood there staring at her for what seemed like hour.

Blake continued despite my silence, "Black made eye contact with you when she first appeared, and you seemed to recognize her. Also, Black made minimal eye contact with Ruby, which is a common method assassins use to catch their targets off guard. Afterwards, when you passed us on your way out of Ruby's room, guilt was written all over your face. I think it's obvious what really happened."

Rage flooded my veins like a river undammed. I held a shaking finger to Blake's chest. "How dare you even think that I hired Black to-"

"My name's Azrael, actually." The warrior flinched under my gaze. "Just thought you would have picked that up from that encounter with Red… I'm just going to leave now…" The new dubbed Azrael disappeared without a trace.

I turned my glare back to Blake. "-kill Ruby. Yes, I was _slightly_ jealous back then, but I realized that Ruby was far more capable to be leader than I would ever be. Despite what you may think of me, I am not a power-hungry monster like my family is. Honestly, I would rather have nothing to do with them, but life has a funny way of screwing you over."

The raven-haired huntress shook her head. "I don't believe you even for a second. You're no different than the other corrupt bureaucrats that throw around money to try to climb higher on the food chain."

"If I was really like that, why would I bother even going to this school. There is nothing to gain here on that standpoint."

"Well-" The sound of the door opening cut Blake off.

A solemn-looking Yang poked her head into the room, ignorant to the tense air. "Ozpin called us to some emergency meeting thing. He told us to be there as soon as possible."

Blake and I exchanged glances. This _discussion_ wasn't over. Blake wasn't a person that would simply let things go. I needed to find some evidence to prove my innocence without exposing Azrael. While I wasn't too thrilled on the whole "host" thing, it seemed that we were stuck together. Besides, she seemed to be fairly reasonable for… whatever she was.

The said demon reappeared as we were walking down to the meeting room. "Just fyi, for situations similar to this, you can communicate with me using your thoughts. Don't worry, I will not pry into any thoughts that are not directed toward me, so its just like talking, only without sound."

_Did you take control of me again after "Red" attacked me?_

"Yeah," Azrael chuckled nervously. "You kinda fainted for no reason after you attempted to stab me for the second time today, and since the room was a bit of a mess, I kinda had to."

_Who is Red anyway and why was she inside Ruby?_

The warrior's face immediately darkened. "That is too complicated of a topic to discuss right now. We will talk later, when darkness falls." She disappeared again just as we reached our destination.

Quietly, Yang, Blake, and I slipped into a large room with a dark wood roundtable in the middle. Ozpin, Goodwitch, Jaune, who had a large bruise on his check for some reason, Ren and Nora sat in the table's many chairs.

The headmaster motioned to some of the empty seats. "Come, sit down. We will be starting shortly." We did as we were told and he continued. "As we all know, there was a security breach earlier this afternoon. Thankfully, we have a resource to identify the perpetrator who should be here any minute now."

The door opened suddenly as if on cue. A brunette wolf faunus walked in, her single green eye silently sweeping the room. Her other, right eye was completely white and had a long, jagged scar running over it. She was dressed in a simple white dress shirt and skirt covered by a leather vest with a hood. A wooden crystal-infused staff was held loosely in the faunus' grasp.

Immediately, I felt Blake's judging gaze burn itself into the back of my head. I knew all too well what she was expecting.

_This is certainly going to be interesting,_ I thought to myself.

To both our surprises, Yang was the one to break the short-lived silence. "Of course it would be you." The brawler's eyes faintly glowed red. "You always know the answers, yet you never tell them until it's too late."

"I've told you many time that my vision isn't perfect, Yang." The newcomer sat down, seeming impassive by Yang's comment. "Besides, if I had warned you, she would have either not shown up at all or completely slaughtered whatever defense you set up for her. This outcome was the most favorable."

Yang's hands hit the table with a loud thunk. "_Is Ruby dying the most _favorable_ outcome?_"

Her eye slightly softening, the faunus opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by Yang hollering, "Where were you that day?"

The room plunged into a silence that could have drowned out a scream. I glanced around the room, checking if anyone was as confused as I was. Jaune was staring at the two dumbly. Blake and Ren wore blank looks, but you could tell they were uncomfortable. Nora had slid down so far in her chair that only her eyes and bright orange hair were visible.

"Yang, this is a highly inappropriate time for family feuds." Ozpin stated.

"You are mistaken, Ozpin. I was part of Summer's family, but I will never be part of Qrow's." Sorrow was laced heavily in her voice, making my mind continue to wonder what, apparently tragic, event they were talking about. The newcomer turned back to Yang, "Why did you ask this now, and not seven years ago?"

The brawler glared back. "I was young and stupid back then. I didn't know half of the things going on around me. Then, when I got a bit older, I started to see all the things I missed, such as how you always leave right before the _disasters_ you 'didn't see' happen. You don't bother to warn anyone else. You just save yourself."

"I try not to mess with the tides of the future too much." The faunus' ear flicked slightly. "The more you try to stop the inevitable, the more you accelerate it. That is a lesson I have learned the hard way."

"Yea, but you mess with them enough to save your own pitiful existence!"

For the first time, the new arrival changed expression. Pure rage ripped across her face, but her voice stayed eerily even. "If I had died that day, or any day before that, most of the people in this room would be long since dead. I deeply apologize for being one of the few cogs keeping this mess of a world from falling into chaos. But since you obviously want to wander blindly in the dark, I'll just leave." She rose from her seat and turned to the door.

"Sibyl." The faunus paused when she heard Ozpin's voice. "We might have started on the wrong foot here, but we really do need your help. Can we set aside the past for a moment and work towards a common goal?"

Sibyl stood there silently, seemingly contemplating the headmaster's words. "Alright," she finally said, "I'll help you. It's what Summer would have wanted."

(? POV)

It had been years since the hunger had been this bad. Then again, I had not been injured this badly for years either.

I needed energy. I needed it like humans needed oxygen.

There were so many souls here. It would so easy to reach out with my semblance and…

NO! I swore to myself I would never use my semblance like that, even now with what's left of my soul bleeding out into the void.

The approach of one the nurses echoed my ears, reminding what I was. A mouse just had to walk past the starving lion.

I turned towards her slowly, to not irritate my wounds. She looked up from her clipboard with the look of a clueless doe. "Is there something I can help you, ma'am?"

I couldn't find in myself to answer. It didn't matter if I did anyway. She was just another victim thrown into the ever growing sea of them.

In one fluid motion, I covered her mouth and brought her neck to my aching fangs. She panicked underneath me for a few seconds before fainting. I took what I needed then retreated back and licked up the excess blood. My saliva did its work and closed the wound, leaving not a trace of what happened. I knew if anyone saw the bite-mark they would immediately kill the nurse, despite the blood tests that showed her to be a regular human, if they bothered to check.

Though I spare some of my victims, the fact that tore me part everyday still remained. I was a monster, even amongst the heartless creatures of Grimm. I shouldn't exist, yet I do. Walking the thin line between life and death, I quietly wondered if I would ever find a place in this world or will I continue this descent into madness.

What am I thinking? The world wouldn't give me a ghost of a chance to find peace, for I was just a monster.

And monsters deserve to be slain.

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**WHY AM I SO GOOD AT WRITING ANGST!**


	7. Chp 5: We're Drowning

**To the guest reviewer Ionized Rose- You don't know how much that little review cheered me up after a long, painful day. Thank you. Thank you very much.  
**

**For the teaser thing, I've decided to do the every five chapters thing, so expect one next update! Also, I said that I was going to split this up into a trilogy, but now I'm not so sure. I made a poll, for those who wanted to share their opinion. **

**Anyway, dialogue. My mortal enemy. It has sadly taken over my Fanfiction.**

* * *

Chapter 5

We're Drowning

_"All you've ever wanted_  
_Was someone to truly look up to you_

_And six feet under water _

_I do"_

(Omniscient)

Qrow was sure she would come back. Against all odds, she would come back.

Even though he saw Summer's lifeless copse being buried underneath eight feet of packed dirt, the voice in the back of his head told him she was alive. The paranoia only grew when they found Ruby, healthier than ever, crouched over her mother's grave a year later. If she survived, how come Summer didn't? Qrow expected his sister to miraculously appear later like Ruby, but she never did. Then again, she didn't have much of a reason to come back, considering she was almost exiled before the incident. Still, even though Summer was as twisted as they came, leaving Ruby behind was the last thing Qrow expected her to do. She was always protecting and caring of her sole daughter, and anyone could tell it was genuine. Abandoning Ruby would be low, even for Summer.

Maybe she really was dead. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Which, Qrow did not know.

So, begrudgingly, he asked Sibyl if there was any chance that Summer would return. Qrow knew he would receive one of the seer's usual cryptic answers, but he needed to know.

Sibyl had stared at him for a long time before saying, "Summer's dead, Qrow. Nothing can change that."

"That's not what I asked." The huntsman growled. "Just give me a straight answer or maybe a vision."

"Very well, I'll give you a straight answer." The faunus' eye twitched. "I don't like you, Qrow. In fact, I hate you even more than Summer ever did. I have no reason to tell you about the future which you would obviously destroy."

Qrow hated begging, but he didn't have any other choice. "Just this one time, just answer this one question, and I will never bother you again."

Sibyl sighed. She knew all too well that he could not uphold that promise, especially with the events just beyond the horizon. Still, being badgered for a couple of months wasn't very appealing.

"_I see three warriors. One white as defeat, one red as rage, and one black as desolation_." Qrow perked up at the sound of Sibyl's monotone "seer" voice. "_Twin swords carved out of pain and predation meet in the sight of a metal, flesh covered frame. Everything to lose and nothing to gain, our fortune a fading stain. The raven utters one final word in vain before it wields the failsafe razor blade. A stalemate long since passed. The creator and the destroyer, a mother and daughter, once again, clash._"

A long silence reigned before Sibyl turned to leave.

"Wait!" Qrow cried out, "What does that mean?"

The faunus paused in the doorway. "It means the apocalypse is at hand. Don't bother to ask me how to stop it, because there is no way to."

The seer then left the huntsman to the hounds of his thoughts. For all the pain he invoked upon Summer, Sibyl hoped this knowledge caused Qrow to tear himself apart.

(Weiss' POV)

"Let's start with the basics, like who is this Black character?" Ozpin started.

"Obviously, Black is not her real name," Sibyl said when she returned to her seat. "But knowing her real name will do you no good, for she has no birth certificate or any other document to trace her by."

"But if we knew her name, we could ask around for information." Jaune piped up.

The faunus shot him a glare. "That wouldn't work because there are only five people in this world that would know, one of which is dead."

"Well, there are still the other four," Jaune replied optimistically.

"You'll have as much luck with them as the first," Sibyl rubbed her temples. "Anyway, Black is-"

"Do you know her name or not?" Goodwitch snapped.

The seer met the professor's glare with one of her own. "Yes, I do. But I already-"

"Why are you withholding information from us? Are you in league with Black?'

Ozpin put a hand on Goodwitch's shoulder. "Calm down, Glynda. The more you push for details, the more Sibyl leaves out."

The said brunette snorted softly. "For your information, I am in nobody's 'league'. I am simply an observer. As I told you before, I try not to mess with the flow of time. I will use my powers to tell you what 'might' happen, but I will not use my powers to give you a play-by-play of what 'will' happen. Even if I trusted you enough to bear this knowledge, my powers would reach their peak long before I could tell you the exact events of a single half-hour. I suggest you choose your questions carefully, for I can only answer a limited amount. Now I ask, would you rather know were Black is hiding or know a useless fact about her?"

"I really don't get what you're saying," Jaune spoke up. "I mean, I understand that you will only give us a bit of information, but why? If you already know her name, why can't you just tell us? No harm will come out of it."

"I agree with Jaune." Ren said.

Yang sprung up with a loud "Yeah!" while Blake nodded silently. Nora had fallen asleep sometime after the end of Yang and Sibyl's verbal clash.

I didn't really care about the matter, since Azrael told me her name less than fifteen minutes ago, but I put my two cents in anyway. "You really don't have a valid reason not to."

"Knowledge in the hands of the incompetent only ends up as dirt on top of coffins." Sibyl spat sharply. "I look around and all I see are a bunch of apes trying to catch the reflection of the moon. Don't even try to fit what you don't understand into layman's terms. That's why we're here today. Because someone judged before listening."

"I don't see how-"

"It is best to just drop it." Ozpin interrupted Jaune.

"Despite what you might think, Black did not appear in front of you to challenge Pyrrah or 'assassinate' anyone," Sibyl glanced at Blake. "Black doesn't bother herself with petty duels that drag on forever. When Black fights, she goes for the kill far before her opponent ever knows she's there. No evidence left, no second wasted. There has only been one person to ever survive one of her attacks, and that person is half dead."

"What about us?" Yang threw her arms out. "We survived no problem! Well, most of us…"

"That's because she was luring someone out." I added.

Blake's suspicious gaze immediately returned. "And how do you know this?"

"Black was making a big show of things and Sibyl just said that she likes to keep things quiet. Ergo, her goal wasn't to kill us. The only logical explanation is that she was trying to draw out someone else."

"The question is, who was she luring out." Ren spoke up.

"The person she failed to kill, of course!" Sibyl laughed, as if this whole situation was amusing. "No one likes a stain on their perfect record!"

"I'm not like that…" I heard Azrael's voice behind me. It was so small and broken that it made my heart lurch. "I'm not the heartless monster you make me out to be. I kill because it is the only thing I know how to do."

She walked up beside me with a dazed expression. "All I want is for her to let me help her. For her to accept me. I was the one that got her into this mess, I should be the one to pull her out! But she's drowning! I'm drowning! I can feel her pain, her agony! That Grimm is killing her, eating her from the inside out _and I can't do anything about it!_"

A long, echoing wail poured forth from Azrael's throat. Slowly, the scream shifted into a gravelly roar as features from her demon form ripped from her human skin. The discussion that had been continuing the background immediately halted. The air vibrated with Aura and pain that threatened to shatter my ear drums. The lights flickered like flames trying to stay alight in the middle of a hurricane.

Azrael's cry then died down into a quiet whimper. Her mutated body slowly faded back into whatever dimension she resided in.

I swallowed uncomfortably, trying my best to ignore the ringing in my ears. My opinion of Azrael was a fairly neutral one. Despite the fact she wiped the floor with both Yang and Pyrrah, she seemed pretty nice. The whole 'host' thing was weird, but Azrael was a different species after all. A species neither of us knew much about. She also hasn't tried too completely take over my body. She did temporarily wrench control out my hand twice, but both times she had given it back easily. I knew deep inside Azrael had more than enough power to permanently overtake my will, yet it seems that she hasn't even considered it.

Still, her motives were unclear. From her 'outburst', there was someone important in Azrael's life that was in trouble. Red and Azrael's past host were still mysteries though. Mysteries covered up too much for my liking. If I was to share a body with creature that could slaughter huntsmen without really trying, I needed to have a checkmate against her. She might seem nice now, but it would take less than a second for her to turn vicious. I wasn't fond of the idea of Azrael prancing around in my skin, completely unhindered.

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Yang asked breathily.

I saw Blake's bow twitch out of the corner of my eye. "It sounded like a Grimm call."

"That's impossible." Goodwitch's fingers danced across her scroll's touchscreen. "The nearest Grimm are fifty miles away from campus, in the Emerald forest. Even if one got over the cliff, it would have been taken out long before it could ever reach the main building. Besides, the source of the cry had to extremely close to shake the room like that."

"Don't mistake a cry of mourning with a cry of war." Sibyl piercing green gaze did not waver a single time during Azrael's scream.

"How do you even tell the difference between the two?" Jaune questioned. "And since when do Grimm mourn?"

The faunus' ears drooped ever so slightly and her eye seemed to grow duller. "Grimm lack emotions, this is true, but the creature that made that sound can feel as deeply, or perhaps deeper, than we can. I've had the misfortune of hearing both on the same day, and I can tell you, there is no comparison between their mourning and war cry. A mourning cry might shake the earth with agony, but a cry of war pierces the air like a banshee's wail and leaves your bones trembling in their sockets. You know you only have a few precious seconds to live before it gets you."

I raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Sibyl knew more about Azrael than she was letting on. "And what are these creatures you speak of?"

She glanced at me, annoyance evident in her eye. "This is one of the situations where if you see no evil, there will be no evil. It's irrelevant anyway. I've told you all you need to know. Find Blood-reaper and you will find Black. She should be easy to locate, seeing that she loves to create a ruckus."

_Blood-reaper? Jeez, I missed more than I thought._ I thought as I watched Sibyl leave. No one tried to stop her, not even Ozpin. Pausing at the doorway, the wolf faunus stares at me for a passing second, like she expected something of me. Her white eye seemed to be focused on me, though it had nothing to focus with. I still felt its unnerving gaze after Sibyl had disappeared into the hallway.

"This meeting is suspended until further notice." Ozpin announced without a break in his stride. "I promise we will catch the perpetrator. For now, return to what you were doing. You are all excused from classes until this matter is resolved."

Soon, I found myself walking back to the hospital wing with Blake, Yang, and Jaune. Ren had taken the still sleeping Nora to their dorm, and was going to catch up later. Not that I was paying much attention to what was going on around me. I was too preoccupied with a completely different matter.

_Azrael?_ I called out silently. _Azrael?_

No response.

Worry stirred in my gut. I wasn't sure what it did to Azrael. Still, if she was…gone, I would be free to do whatever without of being manipulated. Well, manipulated by _her_. I couldn't help but be saddened by the demon's seemly empty existence though. Then again, it could all be an act.

"Hey, where did everyone go?" Jaune's voice broke me out of my thoughts. We had arrived at the usually bustling medical wing, but there was not a soul in sight.

Blake reached for her weapon. "I don't like this."

Everybody did the same as we crept through the abandoned hallways. There was no signs of any struggle or overall disorder. Everything was just as it was a few hours ago. It was like everyone dropped what they were doing and left.

The overwhelming air of foreboding kicked all my senses into overdrive. Every single tap of our footfalls and every whirl and beep of machinery caused my head to violently jerk in the sound's general direction. Nothing was happening. Nothing broke the tense rhythm.

Nothing, until the click of a gun's safety being disengaged disturbed it.

Immediately, we drew our respective weapons as the fifth soul rounded the corner and pointed their rifle at us.

"Pyrrah?" Jaune was the first to recognize the gunman.

"Oh, it's just you." Pyrrah lowered her gun, sighing in relief. "Where are Ren, Nora and Ruby? Are they alright?"

"Ren and Nora are fine, but Ruby… Ruby didn't make it." I felt the sudden urge to correct Jaune, when I remembered that it could just as easily be a lie as everything else Azrael said.

"Did..?"

"Yes, Black got away," Jaune shook his head slightly. "But, on the bright side, we know how to find her! Apparently, there is this criminal called Blood-reaper that knows how to find and defeat her!"

Pyrrah frowned at the name. "Blood-reaper? I don't know, Jaune. That sounds awfully like the name of a serial killer."

I then noticed something about the red head. "Pyrrah, what happened to your injuries? They shouldn't have been able to heal that much in such a short amount of time."

The huntress looked down at her uninjured form. "I really don't know, I just woke up like this. Though, I do remember a dark figure loaming over me…"

A low groan echoed in my head.

_Azrael?_ I asked.

Slowly, she materialized into existence behind Pyrrah with her back to me. Gazing at me from over her shoulder, Azrael whispered,

"_She's here._"

* * *

**When I was editing this, I realized that Sibyl has more dialogue than everyone else combined. She just goes on and on and on ****and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on** **and on...**

**Kinda like me!**

**DELETED SCENE-**

**Jaune- ...If you already know her name, why can't you just tell us? No harm will come out of it.**

**Sibyl- DON'T QUESTION MY LOGIC!**

**Summer- Yeah! Don't question her logic!**

**Yang- ...Aren't you supposed to be dead?**

**Summer- ...Oh, yeah. I knew I was forgetting something... Well, bye. *walks away awkwardly*  
**

**Ruby- *wakes up* I feel like I just missed something important... Nah, it was probably nothing. *goes back into comatose***


	8. FB 3: The Reign of Night

**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: The screenshot version of chapter 1 has been released on both DeviantART and Archive of Our Own. Links to my profiles to both websites are in my fanfiction profile.  
**

**On a less important note: I decided to get rid of the arc title things. So yea.**

**Also, thank you guys for the 20 reviews, 88 followers and 53 favorites. I don't now why I haven't mentioned this before, but I am immensely grateful for all of you taking time out of your busy lives to read my story. It means a lot to me. **

* * *

November 16th 3039 AD

(Omniscient)

The news of Summer's, and her daughter, Ruby's death brought a storm of conflicting emotions upon the Xioa Long residence. Qrow was honestly glad that his sister was dead deep inside, but didn't let it show. Jennifer was fairly neutral on the matter, she didn't like Summer very much, but death in general made her sad. Yang, who was ten at the time, was the most affected.

Unlike her parents, Yang had a very good relationship with Ruby and her mother. Summer treated her like a second daughter, and Ruby and Yang were so close that they began to call each other sister, even though they were only cousins. Once the news reached Yang's ears, she fell into a deep depression that nothing could lift.

Yang stared at the casket emptily as it was lowered into the ground. Only Summer's body was recovered from the ashen ruins of the village she once lived in, and, apparently, it was in pretty bad shape, seeing that the coffin was never opened, even for final goodbyes. Ruby had not been found, but how could she survive something her mother, a highly trained huntress, didn't?

The blonde felt a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, Yang met Sibyl's one-eyed gaze. Even after three years, she still didn't know the origin of the faunus' scar. Every time someone asked, Sibyl would look away and murmur "Grimm." Qrow, being paranoid as he is, was suspicious of this when there was no apparent reason to. Grimm attacks often left bigger mental scar than physical ones.

But, for once, Qrow was justified for his doubt.

The one who inflicted the gruesome wound upon Sibyl was, in the most basic terms, human. The perpetrator hadn't come for her life all those years ago, but the secret she held. It was the reason she fled the village only minutes before its destruction. The reason she had to abandon everything she loved.

The secret Sibyl kept was of the ace of spades. The trump card that would win the whole world for the one who played it. She knew, eventually, the ace would play itself. The end was inevitable. Until then, Sibyl would keep it out of humanity's greedy hands.

"Come on, the airship is waiting."

Yang looked away and spoke through the tears, "How? How can you do that?"

"Do what?" Sibyl asked.

"How can you not cry when your best friend and her daughter are laying six feet under?" Yang lashed out, knocking the faunus' hand away.

The brunette didn't flinch. "I didn't cry because I knew it was inevitable. Summer must eventually turn to winter for the cycle of life to continue."

"_So you're calling their lives meaningless?_" Yang shouted.

"You take my words out of context," Sibyl continued. "I never said that anyone's life is meaningless. What kind of demon would I be if I said that? No, everything happens for a reason. We are all cogs in this machine we call life. Even the so called 'gods' are nothing but tiny gears in the end. We all have our jobs, our 'destinies', that we ultimately fulfill no matter how hard we try to resist."

"Then why did you survive when everyone else died?"

The faunus stayed silent, fighting the urge to snap at the preteen. Yang didn't know how many old scars she just dug up. She didn't know the hell Sibyl had to endure on a daily basis. Her semblance was more of a curse than a gift. Ever since she was a child, she was plagued by visions of deaths and woes of strangers and friends alike. She was just about to see her own end when she meet Summer, who was even more messed up than Sibyl was. Her family treated her like a disease and trouble, in its most violent and twisted terms, chased after her like hounds to fresh meat. Yet, she never let the sourness she felt inside leak into her carefree attitude.

Perhaps that was the reason Sibyl took up the hands that would be constantly drenched in waterfall of blood. Yes, Sibyl knew better than anyone else of the crimes Summer would come to commit. The most gruesome and horrific visions she ever had all included Summer in some shape or form. But despite that, the faunus found herself…. intrigued by the dark huntress.

The two outcasts quickly grew to enjoy each other's presence. Summer used the minuscule amount of money her family pushed aside for her to buy Sibyl an apartment in Vale, where she spent more time in than her dorm at Beacon. Things seemed to be finally looking up for them.

Then, it happened.

Sibyl didn't have any regrets, but she couldn't deny how hard it was to be the roommate of a single mother at times. Everyone kept pushing and scrambling to learn who Ruby's father was. Rumors spread like wildfire, ranging from the father being murdered by Summer to that Ruby was straight up kidnaped. They couldn't get any further from the truth.

"Because I can't, not just yet," Sibyl answered truthfully. "You can't revoke a deal with the devil, Yang." And with that, she turned and left.

Sighing, the blonde silently followed, not noticing that the shadows cast by Ruby and Summer's gravestone were moving. The shadows crawled upward, forming a ghostly, humanoid body.

"Fulfill no matter how hard we try to resist, hm?" The specter stroked its chin. "That's what you really believe after all this? That we are all damned for sins we didn't commit? The machine's breaking, finally beginning to shut down. We'll finally be free to carve out our own path, along with everyone else. You want that, don't you?"

The shade turned to gaze off into distance beyond the cliff's edge. "Claws are no longer doing anything. It's time to trade them for a sharper edge. Blunt swords and sheaths will do no good in this war. This world is my birthright and I am finally claiming it. Beware, almighty kings growing fat on their thrones. Beware, subjugators torturing the so-called monster. Today, the Reign of the Night begins!"

As if on cue, a crowd of 'humans' appeared behind the shadowy being. A brunette stood at their head, leaning casually on a massive bisento. A rare smile spilt her face as spoke, "You do not know how long we've been waiting to hear that. We are behind you, Queen Nyx."

The warriors roared words that would echo on for years. "Death to the traitor king! Death to the traitor king!"

* * *

**Don't mind me, just setting up the roots...**


	9. Chp 6: Undead

**What? A new chapter after only four days? And it's the longest chapter to date? What is this madness?**

**Madness. That's what it is.  
**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**Enjoy the chapter.**

**Edit: changed "...a couple inches shorter than Azrael..." to "...several inches shorter...", since Onyx is six foot even and Azrael is six eleven. Oops.**

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Chapter 6

Undead

_"You're beaten, so am I_

_I've got a heart of stone_

_No medication can draw what has taken hold"_

(Omniscient)

Ozpin knew Sibyl well enough to tell when she wasn't being completely honest. The wolf had a silver tongue and she often bended the truth to fit her complex agenda. But despite that, he trusted in her ways. Though her attitude suggested otherwise, Sibyl always put the safety of others before her own.

And that is where the problem lays. Sibyl is very verbose on the subject of terrorist and serial killers. She often times goes into morbid detail of how to take one of them down, yet she barely shared any information about Black. If Black had killed as many people as Sibyl said she did, the faunus would have wanted her to be brought to justice, just like all the others. Was Black so dangerous that Sibyl was leading us away from her?

_No,_ Ozpin realized, _she isn't protecting us, she's protecting Black._

But why? Why would she bother to help someone who has taken so many lives?

Frowning, Ozpin continued to watch the footage Sibyl sent him. He wasn't sure how she got it, since all of the security feeds in the area had been cut beforehand. Still, it was better than nothing.

He paused the recording and zoomed in on Black's face. There was something familiar about her, but Ozpin could not put his finger on it. The way she remained expressionless throughout the battle. The way she combined elegance and agility with brute force. The way she carried herself, like she was above the world but at the same time below it…

_Just like Summer._

Ozpin was surprised at his train of thought. He had nothing against Summer, and no reason to connect her to Black. But the more he denied it, the more parallels he saw.

She did look a lot like Summer, from the overall sharpness of her features to the shape of her uncovered eye. Black also shared Summer's tactic of swallowing one's emotions in combat.

Then again, she might be like that outside of battle too. He really had no way of knowing.

Still, if Black was even faintly related to Summer, that would give Sibyl a good enough reason to protect her.

Following up on this lead, Ozpin booted up a complex facial recognition program. It was originally made to help survivors of disaster find family members to stay with, but it quickly began being used for other tasks. If Ozpin was right, this program would link the two together.

**96% Match**

**Possible Twin or Sibling**

His eyes widened. A ninety-six present match was unheard of. Even identical twins usually got eighties. Perhaps her mask was confusing the software. It shouldn't have though, since it didn't look remotely like a face.

Curious, Ozpin clicked 'find perfect match' and checked 'search all databases.'

What he found was much more morbid than he expected.

The file that pulled up was from the HGA, the Humanoid Grimm Archives or better known as the Vampire Archives. Most of the Grimm in there where long since slain, but there were a few that vampire hunters were waiting to get the drop on. Usually those where alphas, who were stronger and smarter than their regular beta cousins. There were several stories of alphas sneaking into cities and creating giant vampire nests without anyone noticing until it was too late.

**Subject 4613**

**Former Identity: Unknown**

**Gender: Female**

**Genesis: Alpha**

**Status: Active**

**Current Location: Unknown**

**Danger Level: Keter**

**Description: Subject 4613 is a tall, lean teenage girl with medium length black hair with three prominent red streaks on the left side of her bangs. Eyes are bright red, left eye is usually covered by bangs. Extremely pale complexion, sharp facial features. Subject makes no attempt to hide her vampiric nature, often creating wide spread panic where ever she goes. Often bursts out into random sessions of chaotic laughter.**

**Known Abilities: Subject excels at hand to hand combat, quickly overwhelming opponents with a deadly combination of speed and strength. Is also very efficient with various weapons. Able to copy various semblances to an unknown extent. Many huntsmen have reported her to disappear in the middle of battle. All attempts to track her after her disappearance have failed. Rare reports describe her to be able to use Aura based attacks.**

**Attempts to decommission: 29**

**Huntsman Casualties: 15 dead and 35 severally injured**

Ozpin stared at the profile image in growing horror. Black and 4613 looked exactly the same, minus the different hairstyles, eye color, and of course, the mask. An easy disguise.

All the worst case scenarios swarmed his head. Three students have already been harmed by this menace. He couldn't afford to take any risks.

Closing the program, Ozpin dialed up his old team leader.

"Qrow here."

"Qrow, we have a problem. A big one."

(Weiss' POV)

_Who's here?_ I asked, looking around wildly. Azrael didn't answer, choosing instead to stare at me with this petrified expression.

"Is something wrong, Weiss?" Jaune looked at me, concern etched in his face.

My gaze darted to Pyrrah. "Pyrrah, didn't you say that you saw someone when you woke up?"

She blinked in confusion. "Yeah…"

"What did that person do?"

"Nothing. They fled as soon as I opened my eyes. All I got was a passing glance of them."

A low chuckle echoed through the hall that quickly grew into a bout of insane laughter. It seemed to come from every nook and crany.

Weapons drawn, we quickly formed a tight circle, ready for an attack from any direction. Azrael just stood there, dumbly. I guess she wouldn't be much help anyway, since her appearing out of nowhere would send everyone into a panic.

"Who's there?" Jaune shouted over the chaotic din.

The laughter died down and a feminine voice answered, "I don't know. Where is there? And why do you expect me to know? If I knew those answers, why would I be here?"

"Great, they're one of _those_ people." Yang grunted.

"Show yourself!" Pyrrah shouted, still searching for the voice's origin.

"Alright." The voice's apparent origin switched from being everywhere to right behind me. I spun around to find the owner had slipped into the middle of our circle, and she looked a lot like… Azrael.

She had Azrael's same sharp features, pale skin and midnight black hair. Her hair had been styled to completely cover up the left part of her face, the opposite side that Azrael's mask resided on. Three red steaks resembling claw marks ran from the beginning of her bangs to her chin. Her red eye gleaming, she grinned madly, revealing abnormally long canines.

_Vampire._ I thought, setting Mrytenaster to burn dust. This was not going to turn out good.

The human-like Grimm wore a sleeveless black kimono top, some tan slacks and a pair of plain leather boots. White cotton 'bandages' were wrapped around her forearms, similar to Blake's ribbons. She seemed to be several inches shorter than Azrael, but that didn't make her any less intimidating.

Pyrrah's emerald eyes narrowed. "Who are you, and what have you done with the people here?"

"What do you think?" The vampire smirked. "I'm Onyx by the way, and I believe you know my other name."

Azrael stared at me from behind Onyx. "Weiss, you need to run."

_And let this thing run free?_ I mentally snapped back. _I'm no coward, Azrael, and I'm not going to turn into one anytime soon._

"This isn't about being a coward or not!" She growled, crossing the distance between us. The demon grabbed my arm and attempted to drag me away, but I held strong. "Stop being stubborn, Weiss! There has already been enough lives lost in this conflict! I don't want you to be one of them!"

Onyx chuckled in the background. "Don't worry, I'm only here for one of you…" Her crimson gaze rested on me.

Suddenly, I felt as if I was being yanked through reality itself. The strange sensation stopped as fast as it began.

Dazed, I slowly registered the hand wrapped around my throat and the lack of ground beneath my feet. The hospital wing was gone, replaced by the nauseating heights of Beacon's roof, where Onyx held me dangling over the edge.

"Well, that was certainly an unexpected move," The vampire tilted her head to the side, oddly innocent for a creature of Grimm. "I never knew you could do that, but why now and not earlier? You had seven years…"

She stared at me, apparently expecting an answer, but I was too shocked to formulate one. "So, you're giving me the silent treatment. That's fine. I finally have the chance to get rid of you and I'm taking it."

(Onyx's POV)

I had never seen Black show this much emotion before. Pure terror was written across her stolen face as she held on to my arm for dear life. She should have known better than to flee to such a fragile body.

Now, I could finally be free of this annoying parasite. Free to finally be myself.

"Goodbye, Black. I won't miss you."

"I'm Weiss! Not Bla-" I threw her off the edge before she could finish her lame excuse. It would only take a few seconds for her to hit the ground, effectivity shattering that frail, stolen body of hers. I knew Black didn't have enough strength left to break her fall, and that only made things easier for me.

Insane laughter bubbled from my throat when I felt Black and Weiss' Aura disappear. I won! I finally won! After seven years of slavery, I was finally free!

Then, the full realization of what I've done dawned to me. On the inside, I was hugging myself, trying to drown out the horror, but on the outside, the mask of a heartless killer didn't waver.

_I… killed Weiss…_ She was a bystander, she didn't deserve to die in a body shared by that monster. I had let my lust for freedom overcome my withered humanity. I should have just dragged Black back into my body.

Red's chaotic laughter echoed in my skull. _Look at you, crying over spilled milk! You are not even free yet! I'm still here! In your mind, in your soul, in your body! You can't escape me, little human! Every tear you shed, every dark though, just makes me stronger!_

_No…_ I cried out weakly. _Please… No…_

I was weak. That fact about me has never changed, even when my physical abilities surpassed those of the greatest huntsmen. It didn't matter how many fights I've won, I was still losing the war.

_There is no victory in strength,_ was what my mom used to say. _That is simply an illusion man loves to bask in, thinking that he is untouchable when the reverse is true. One could be a titan able to destroy the world in a single blow and still be defeated by a lowly pebble._

Suddenly, Black and Weiss' Aura reappeared behind me. I spun around to see her sitting down with a petrified expression chiseled into her features. She was shaking, a very un-Black-like behavior.

_Wait a minute…_ I noticed that Weiss' Aura was dominant and wasn't attempting to push Black out at all. Was it possible that they were… coexisting? Or was Weiss not aware of Black's presence? No, that's not possible. Black was just like Red, both lived only to consume. The only difference was that Black had a smoother tongue. Black would have completely devoured Weiss by now.

Then, my nose picked up the stench of formaldehyde and methanol. I was too focused on Weiss to realize we weren't alone. A white clothed figure stood off to the side, staying unearthly still. I felt no Aura radiating from them nor heard a telltale heartbeat coming from their chest. Dead, in all aspects.

I walked up to the apparent corpse, eyeing it curiously. _How the hell did this get up here? And how is it standing on its own?_ Their baggy, ninja-like attire made it close to impossible to tell what gender they were. Most of their face was covered up by cloth bandages, leaving a single, unmoving pink eye uncovered with some bleach white hair peeking out. I quietly sniffed them, searching for pheromones to tell me who this was.

It was faint, but I could tell that the person was, in fact, female. Her scent seemed oddly familiar though. It put me at ease. Cosmos flowers and roses. It was haunting like… my mom's…

Before I had a chance to react, the 'corpse' hooked her foot against my head and slammed it into the ground.

My skull vibrated painfully as I shakily rose. How can she move, much less that fast? Nothing without a soul can move of its own will. Not even the Grimm broke this rule. They had what is known as negative souls, embodiments of the hatred and pain of the human race.

I could naturally sense the Aura of the people and the false ones of vampires around me, and, if I focused hard enough, I could peer into the Aura plane for a few seconds. Impressive for most, since the ability to consciously sense Aura was rare and often pretty limited, but nothing compared to my mom's. She reached the point where she even felt the faint spiritual energy that inanimate objects possessed. I would never reach that level, but that didn't mean I couldn't try.

Just as I was about to slip into the Aura plane, the ghoul grabbed me by the head and hurled me across the roof.

Again, I got up and glared at the silent warrior. If I could figure out what was making the corpse move, I could find a way to nullify it, but she wasn't giving me a chance. _I guess I'll have to rely on brawn more than brain in this fight._

With a quick flick of the wrist, I summoned Bloody Rose and lashed its razor sharp tip at her. My weapon was a simple one. In this form, it was a basic chain with a small blade, no longer than a finger, attached to the end link.

The zombie expertly dodged my strike and ran into my guard. I willed Bloody Rose to snake back around my hand and punched at her with my metal-augmented fist. She caught my hand, throwing me over her shoulder and into the ground for a third time.

_How? How is she predicting my movements so easily?_ Whip-based fighting styles, like the one I use, were naturally erratic. In exchange for all defensive capabilities, the wielder uses complex attacks that are nearly impossible to block, dodge or counter. A small twitch of the wrist can make the whip go in an entirely new direction, yet I was being out smarted before I got a chance to do anything. It was time for a change of tactics.

Rising again, I growled, "I'm not going to go easy on you anymore!" With that, I released Bloody Rose's true form. I usually kept my weapon in a 'sealed' state to give my opponents a chance, but she when a mile with the inch I gave her.

The sharpened tip glowed and transformed into a one-edged blade longer than an average adult's height. Grabbing the handle imbedded into the blunt side of the blade, I smirked confidently. I have always been better with larger weapons than smaller ones.

The silent warrior charged forward without a moment of hesitation. She lashed out with another kick, but I batted it away easily. The mortal dance continued like this, with the ghoul on the offensive and me parrying every blow. I felt the Grimm part of me stir impatiently. Red hated long battles. It wanted blood the moment a human stepped into a mile radius of us. But I couldn't waste energy going into a berserker state. I was running on fumes as it is.

Then I saw an opening. I ducked under the ghoul's extended arm and positioned myself for a deadly strike to her unguarded back. I let out a vicious war cry as I brought Bloody Rose down.

My blade never reached her.

Blood oozed out of my mouth with every labored breath. My arms hung frozen in the air, holding my weapon an inch away from its target. Cold steel burned my insides as my mind tried to process what happened.

Three silver, curved blades protruded from the warrior's back and into my torso, impaling vital organs. With a flash of light, not unlike the glow Bloody Rose gave off when transforming, they disappeared, letting my numb body fall to the floor.

Blackness ate away at the edge of my edge of my vision as I watched the ghoul walk towards me, a scythe-like blade forming on her forearm. I tried to close my wounds with my remaining Aura, but I didn't have enough left.

So this was how I was going to die. Struck down by a person cursed with the same undeath I was.

I had been so eager to die before, to rid Remnant of my malevolent presence, but now, I wanted to live more than anything else. Too bad I couldn't even use my semblance.

_Well look at you, finally dying after seven long years. Why did you even bother? We all knew it would come down to this._ Red laughed. _Don't worry, I'll make sure to _slaughter_ the rest of your friends and family._

The hellfire of having your soul being eaten bit by painstaking bit burned in my chest as I fell into darkness.

_This is it._ I thought. _I'm going to die and Red will surely rip the world apart using my body. I was really a fool to think I wouldn't end up like all the other vampire bite victims. There is no stopping the venom, it works until there is nothing left but an empty shell._

Suddenly, a loud roar split the silence. The searing pain stopped and Black's Aura wrapped around my own.

_Oh, I see. You want to consume me yourself._ I couldn't help but laugh. _I guess I'm okay with that. You at least have _some_ morals._

_You don't understand…_ I sensed sadness in Black's voice.

_What is there to understand? You're a monster, just like Red._

_I never asked to be a monster. I was born like this._

_Yeah?_ I snapped. _And I didn't ask to be born into a body that could barely run a meter!_

_I'm… sorry._

That was the very last thing I ever expected her to say.

* * *

**Formaldehyde and methanol are two common chemicals used to preserve dead bodies, the former has a very ****pungent odor.**

**Danger level: Keter is a reference to the SCP foundation (fictional), who hold dangerous and unnatural objects. Their object danger level ranges from Safe, Euclid and Keter, the latter being the most dangerous. The word Keter means "crown" in Hebrew and represents the highest level of the Jewish Kabbalah. In this story, Keter was a theoretical level on the Grimm danger scale (before Onyx came around, though she doesn't really count). To put in prescriptive, a herd of Goliath hundred times larger than the one seen in "Search and Destroy" wouldn't began to cut the minimal for the Keter level.**

**For reference, there is a list of the songs the lyrics under the chapter are from:**

**Chp 1: Paradise (What about us?) by Within Temptation  
**

**Chp 2: Frozen by Celldweller  
**

**Chp 3: Sentimental Android by Kagamine Len (English Version)  
**

**Chp 4: The Howling by Within Temptation  
**

**Chp 5: The Little Things Give You Away by Linkin Park  
**

**Chp 6: Haunted by Disturbed  
**


	10. Chp 7: Heir of Ruin

**This chapter was delayed heavily by me upgrade to Skyrim PC version. It has been about five days, and I have 20 hours clocked in and 37 mods. I'm not sorry.**

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Chapter 7

Heir of Ruin

_"I don't want to change the world_

_I just want to leave it colder_

_Light the fuse and burn it up_

_Take the path that leads to nowhere"_

(Weiss' POV)

"Why did you save her? She's a vampire, for crying out loud!"

Azrael looked up from dressing Onyx's wounds. "She's not a vampire."

"Then what is she then?" I snapped, patience quickly fading.

We were still on the roof, far from the eyes and ears of others. The albino warrior that saved me from being a spot on the concrete disappeared shortly after defeating Onyx.

"It is… complicated… But after all you've done for me, it's only fair.

"I have barely done anything," I murmured under my breath.

She smiled slightly. "You've done more than you realize."

I glanced back at Onyx. "So that's your past host. Should have guessed, you two look like twins. But what I don't get is why you care for her wellbeing. She's no longer your host, after all."

Azrael froze, hand tightening around the bundle of bandages. "I lied, Weiss. I told you that you were my new host when that isn't even possible. I was using you as an anchor to distance myself from my one and only host. I know very little about my kind, but it is inborn knowledge that we cannot _ever_ change our host. We are bound to them forever, as much as through body than mind and soul. If Onyx grieves, I grieve. If Onyx goes insane, I go insane. If Onyx dies, I die. It is as simple as that."

I flinched slightly at the venom in her tone. I hadn't meant to offend her, but she was so different from a regular human that I didn't know what would be considered offensive and what wouldn't. "Why didn't you tell me in the first place?"

"It wasn't necessary at the time." The venom dulled, but it was still there.

Sighing, I apologized, "I'm not one to do this, but, I'm sorry. I was being… insensitive. You really care about her, and I was blind to let facts cover that up."

"I should be the one apologizing," She continued to tend to Onyx. "I was the one who dragged you into this mess. You almost died because of me."

"Good thing I'm used to almost dying."

The demon looked at me questioningly, before saying, "Oh! Weiss _Schnee_! I totally forgot about that. Honestly you don't act _that_ much like a Schnee anyway."

I raised an eyebrow at this. "When have you ever met a member of my family?"

"Well… There was this guy being attacked by a bunch of White Fang members and I decided to help him, 'cause why not? Then he pissed me off so I kinda murdered him." Azrael laughed sheepishly.

"_Kinda murder_? How can you _kinda murder_ someone?"

"Technically, Onyx also killed him, because she was pissed too and we were in the same body at the time. So I murdered him halfway and Onyx did the other half. See, _kinda_ murdered."

I stared at her blankly. "If I didn't know better, I would say that you were related to Yang and Ruby," she shifted uneasily at this. "I wasn't fond of that certain uncle anyway, he was a babbling idiot. He was going to die sooner or later. You at least spared him a few seconds."

We sat in silence before I spoke up again. "Were you always like this? Having to share a body with someone else?"

"No, actually," Azrael turned to face me, having finished treating Onyx. "Once, I had a body of my own, like my true form, except it was solid and my mask was whole. I lived with my mother and aunt a couple miles from a village in Atlas. They were like me, but they knew how to disguise themselves as humans. I never actually saw what they really looked like. I knew my mom had this black, lion-like tail since often times she let it out to breathe. I remember chasing it around… I'm pretty sure it had feathers on it, but it could have been fur…"

"You chased your mother's tail around." It sounded even more ridiculous coming out of my mouth.

The demon's face, and some of her mask, flushed red. "H-hey! I wasn't even a year old then! I bet you chased _something_ around when you were little."

"Speaking of age, how old are you?"

"Eight."

I gave her a deadpanned stare. "You're kidding."

"Well, I'm actually twenty-two, but I have been awake only eight years of my life." Her gazed saddened. "My mom always warned me to never be seen by the humans, for they would not hesitate to kill me on the spot. I never knew how true that was until it happened. I was watching a group of children passing a ball at the edge of the forest. It looked so… fun. I wanted to join them. Then, they lost control and the ball stopped right in front of me. I didn't have time to move before one of the children came to get it. She grabbed the ball and… looked up at me. She stared at me for what seemed like a century. She was so small… it was hard to believe she could scream so loud…" The demon paused to wipe away the tears building in her eyes. There was such pain in her voice.

"You don't have to continue," I said softly. "We've only known each other a few hours. I don't expect you to tell me something that traumatic."

"I'm sorry. I guess you want to hear about Onyx now." I nodded silently, not wanting to push her. "After I was seen, my mom cast me into a deep sleep to keep me hidden until I was the proper age to learn how to live amongst humans. I found out later that I was sealed inside Onyx, long before she was… turned. We were both fifteen when I began to regain consciousness. But only seconds later, she was bitten by an amber-eyed vampire. I managed to save her, but the venom worked all too fast. Almost half of her soul had been devoured."

"Wait, are you saying that Onyx is a hybrid? I've read enough papers to know that's impossible."

"Have you read _Spiritual Anatomy of Grimm_ by Summer R. Rose?" Azrael asked. "She stated that it _is_ possible, but it is _extremely_ unlikely that it would ever happen. For it to even have a chance of occurring, a soul that is usually immune to vampire venom has to constricted to a quarter or less of its full strength, then has to reach full power at least five seconds after being bitten. What happens after is a different story."

"Never heard of it. I'm surprised, you don't seem like someone who reads very often, much less research papers."

Azrael chuckled quietly. "I've read far more papers than anything else. I guess that comes with trying to find out what species you belong to."

"Wouldn't your mother have told you something like that?"

"Sadly, I do not remember most of my childhood, just random bits and pieces of it. If she ever told me, I have forgotten."

"What about Ruby and this 'Red' character?"

"I knew you would bring this up eventually," She sighed, an unreadable expression darkening her eyes.

"Red is what onyx called her Grimm side, like how she calls me 'Black.' Somehow, when I jumped to your body, red and some of Onyx's conscious was temporary pushed into Ruby's body. Quite a strange phenomenon, if I do say so myself. Probably traumatized Ruby a bit. And for the reason Ruby recognized me. She is one of the few people who have survived several encounters with us. Partly because of her ability to cheat death and that she was an old friend of Onyx, before… the incident. They were the only ones who survived…"

The demon's head suddenly shot up. "Someone's coming. Hide!"

(Onyx's POV)

The familiar cold, dead wind scraped my face as I opened my frost bitten eyes. Again, I found myself in this frozen wasteland, my personal heaven and hell. I began to slowly trudge through the corpse-ridden snow, around the bare bones of what used to be called trees. This place used to be beautiful, filled with life and joy, but the Red and Black demons changed that. They swallowed the sun and rained down death upon our paradise. Nothing could change it, now that so many sins rest on our shoulders.

I paused at the edge of the forest and looked out upon the frozen lake, the safest place here. The all too thin ice had countless more cracks than the last time I was here.

I continued on, moving towards the lone figure standing in the lake's center.

She turned toward me with a smile brighter than the sun. "Onyx!" She greeted warmly, snuggling up to my side like a kitten to its mother.

"Hello." I caressed her cheek, gazing at her, or should I say my, face. I never figured out how she could smile and stay so outgoing after all these years. My humanity may have withered, but she still managed to keep me from straying too far off the tracks. She was all that was left of the person I once was.

"You're hurt." Her hands brushed over my bloodied shirt.

"I'm always hurt."

"Maybe we should… change that…" I didn't like what she was suggesting one bit.

"_What the hell is going through that head of yours?_" I shoved her away from me. "You know the agreement we made all those years ago. The agreement that has kept us sane for so long?"

"I don't believe having two different personalities falls under the 'sane' category." She snorted. It had been a long time since I've seen her angry, much less _this_ angry.

"At least we're alive. That in itself is a great feat."

"But what's the point? Everyone has a reason for living, except us." She continued when I didn't respond. "The most basic law of survival is to reproduce and pass knowledge on to the next generation. Even the tiniest cell follows this rule. We can't do that because I'm pretty sure that part of our body is totaled anyway, and who would ever want to raise a child with _us_? Plus, if we could, our offspring would most likely inherit our 'condition.' Others fight to survive for friends and family, people that they love and receive love from. We may have relatives, but they sure as hell don't give a shit about us. Luckily, they don't know about this, or they would care enough to try and kill us."

"_I want to live_. Isn't that reason enough?"

"Then I ask, is this living?" She said softly. "Because I'm not sure if we were ever alive."

(Omniscient)

The haunting hum of machinery greeted Manasa as she entered the hidden room. She wasn't fond of her infrequent trips here. She could handle the noise, but the air here was saturated with Aura, enough to put intense strain on the strongest souls. Most people would have their souls crushed the millisecond they stepped past the walls' protective threshold. Manasa was powerful enough to move freely about the room, but she would be lying if she said it wasn't at least a bit uncomfortable. It was like having a massive dragon breathing down your neck. In a way, the soul residing here was a dragon, a titan-like being capable of mass destruction without batting an eye. On the other hand, this soul was a lot more reasonable than the legendary beasts.

Translucent tubes filled with highly concentrated Aura snaked across the floor and walls, glowing eerily. A spherical tank stood in the middle of it all, like a heart amongst veins. If one peered hard enough into the window on the front, they would barely make a humanoid figure floating in the thick solution.

The only thing that broke the lines of machinery was the albino warrior's slumped body being held up by the clear cable attached to the base of her neck. White was what she was called, for it was a waste of energy to come up with a proper name for something less than human. In the simplest terms, White was more or less a robot covered by flesh, controlled by the soul in the machine she was hooked up to. No one outside Nyx's inner circle knew this though. The demon queen had set it up to look like White was a simple assassin being blackmailed into serving her. If there was one thing Nyx was good at, it was weaving a complex web of truths and lies that anything who wandered into would get stuck believing her falsehoods.

"Yo, Feather-duster! I need to talk to you for a minute!" Manasa yelled into the seemly empty room.

Immediately, the shadows at the edge if the room began to shift, and a dark cloaked figure rose from them. She wore a complex black and white mask, much like Azrael's, with red 'tear marks' running down its twin sets of eye holes. "You know how much I detest that nickname, _Esmere_. I hope you have something significant to say, or else we will have a bit of a problem."

Manasa only laughed, even though Nyx could wipe the floor with her any day. Anyone who has had the misfortune of being the viper's superior knew that she didn't comply with authority. More often than not, they were subjected to cruel pranks, ranging from poisoned food to replacing one's bathing water with acid. Even after severe punishment, Manasa would continue to disobey.

Nyx was one of the few people who had her respect. They were both of the same blood, so they easily saw eye to eye, though Nyx was more rational at times. That was one of the reasons Manasa was placed as one of Nyx's four generals, but her military expertise helped.

"Why are we delaying our next strike on the White Fang? Our troops are more than capable of taking on their final defenses."

"That is not what I'm concerned about." A dark look grew in the demon queen's eyes.

"I assume you're referring to Azrael. I don't see how you could be that worried. She wouldn't care much about the White Fang being destroyed."

Nyx crossed her arms. "No. I'm worried about who Taurus has allied himself with. Cinder has already interfered enough with my plans and I am not fond of the idea of her doing more."

"If she's such a problem, why don't you kill her yourself? Or send one of us to take care of it? I've been itching for a good fight."

"Knowing you, your fight will only bring unwanted attention. I wish to hide our powers from the world a little longer."

"Then send in Veritas or maybe Osiris. Both of them can do quiet jobs. Plus, they're so old that no one would begin to recognize them!" This earned Manasa a sharp look.

"While she is annoying, it is better to keep Cinder in the picture for now. If we do take her out, the likelihood of Azrael turning against us will increase."

"So? She isn't even at a quarter power. We shouldn't have a problem."

"She will be a problem once she reforms her mask. And with my luck, she will probably evolve as well. That will make her at least threefold more powerful than she was seven years ago, and I'm sure you remember what happened then."

"It's not like you haven't improved as well."

"I'm not going to let overconfidence be my bane, Manasa."

The viper raised an eyebrow. "Am I not allowed to have faith in you?"

Nyx stayed silent for a moment. "I have stared both Death and the Abyss in the face, but I haven't walked away unscathed. Death took my heart, and the Abyss took away my hope. You might see me as some sort of savior, a perfect warrior, but all I am is a frightened child stuck inside a body of a god."

"For a child, you wield your powers well," Manasa smiled. "In the war, I was terrified too, even though I could take countless more hits than my comrades. Everyone has their fears, the trick is using them to your advantage, but I'm sure Veritas already taught you that." She turned towards the door and waved nonchalantly. "You said that you wanted to create a better world; one were your daughter didn't have to live in fear like you did. You better not give up now, for the curtain call is close." And with that, the viper left Nyx to her devices.

The demon queen stared at the door absentmindedly. Manasa wasn't the genius Nyx was, but she carried more wisdom than she gave herself credit for.

Very few knew it, but Nyx had a child that she loved dearly. Her existence had to be kept a secret, because she inherited her mother's god-like powers. If Tartarus, the self-proclaimed "king" of Remnant, or the huntsmen for that matter, ever caught wind of the demon queen's daughter, they would surely capture her and try to mold her into a weapon. In many ways, Nyx had been cornered, and in that corner, she did something unforgivable.

Her daughter's soul was too powerful and Nyx lacked the time needed to teach her how to hide it. There was no other choice. The demon queen ripped her child's soul into two pieces, one that contained her conscious and one that contained her strength, and sealed the latter away.

The child had been left a weak and sickly shell of her former self, cursed to be confined in bed most days. That didn't stop her from trying to learn some of her mother's craft though.

"She has her mother's will," Osiris had commented, "She will do just fine."

But nothing was made to last. The tides of change will sway and everything will crumble into ruin.

The ruin that was the basis of her powers.

* * *

**To clarify Taurus is just Adam's last name, not Tartarus' nickname. That is Tartar Sauce. And he does not like it one bit.**

**Aaaaaaaand because I'm so nice, I give you a quick power ranking:**

**1\. Tartarus**

**2\. Nyx (nearly tied with Tartarus)**

**3\. Nyx's Daughter (potentially) **

**4\. Veritas **

**5\. Osiris (interchangeable with Veritas)**

**6\. **** Summer Rose (if alive)**

**7\. ****Manasa**

**8\. ****4th general**

**9\. Qrow Xioa Long**

**10\. Azrael/Onyx (combined)**

**The song that the lyrics is from is I Will Not Bow by Breaking Benjamin.**

**.**

**..**

**...**

**...**

**...**

**(11. Ruby Rose)**


	11. Chp 8: Memorials of a Past Life

**For educational purposes, here is a list of my many mortal enemies: **

**-Writing chapters in a timely manner**

**-Dialogue**

**-Flashbacks**

**-Coming up with chapter names**

**-Writing chapters in a timely manner**

**-Radroaches**

**-Ymir**

**-Bad internet connections **

**-High school**

**-Ymir**

**-Games not working**

**-Ymir**

**-Why I can't shove my candle-stick-holder-thing in Ymir's face and MELT IT OFF***

* * *

Chapter 8

Memorials of a Past Life

_"Memories consume_  
_ Like opening the wound_  
_ I'm picking me apart again"_

(Weiss' POV)

"Where am I supposed to hide? This is a roof. There is a lack of nooks and crannies to _hide_ in." I hissed quietly.

"I don't know! I haven't had a body I needed to hide for years!" Azrael defended.

"Just help me drag Onyx out of sight. I'm not exactly Yang, you know."

The demon opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by the sound of someone clearing their throat behind us. Both of our eyes widened in fear. No matter who stood there, the consequences would be dire.

_No. No. No!_ I panicked internally. _This cannot be happening._

I slowly turned to face my fated demise.

A single emerald eye met mine. Sibyl wore her usual neutral expression, devoid of the slightest hints of surprise or confusion.

"Am I interrupting something?" The faunus asked innocently.

"T-that's not possible," Azrael stuttered. "She wasn't even halfway up the stairs when I first sensed her. I didn't even realize it was her…" The demon quickly recovered. "No matter," Her black katana formed in her hand. "I guess violence must be concealed by more violence."

With that, Azrael charged forward, blade ready to shed blood. She raised her sword and began to bring it down upon the faunus' head.

"Is that the way you treat the person who just covered for you?" Azrael's blade froze an inch away from Sibyl's skull.

The demon's eyes narrowed. "So you can see me. Why am I not surprised?" Venom edged her voice as I felt her Aura rise to the suffocating levels they were when she first appeared. "Have you come here to claim revenge?"

"I don't need to do anything of the sort when you are tearing yourself apart already." A ghost of a smile crossed Sibyl's lips. "You waste your precious shared energy to try to intimidate me when your host needs every last drop she can get. Tell me, how to do you expect to survive when you keep doing this?"

Shaking violently, Azrael lowered her blade back to her side. "You don't know _anything_ about me. You don't know _anything_ about Onyx."

Sibyl's lips fell back into a frown. "It's quite sad actually… and quite _insulting_ to see Summer's killer devolve into an unstable mess, incapable to do anything other than destroying everything around it."

The masked demon growled, a loud, guttural sound that made the air shiver in fear. "What right do you have to judge me? You may see the future, but you know nothing of the kinds of hell I've been through! Do you really think I enjoy this?"

"That is where you are wrong. I know what's like to be alone with nothing to keep you company but the hell-scape engraved on your eyelids. I may have not taken any lives, but I had seen enough death to disturb a psychopath. But what I am asking is why you aren't trying to change."

"Well, maybe I can't change!" She snapped. "Maybe I'm supposed to be like this! What are you going to do about it? What can you do about it? You don't have anything but pretty words. Nothing is keeping me from striking you down where you stand."

The faunus only laughed. "Really now? I would like to see you try."

That was all it took to push Azrael off the edge. Roaring, she rushed forward and swung at Sibyl's chest.

The results were far from expected.

There was the piercing shriek of metal shattering as the glowing remnants of Azrael's blade dissipated into thin air. The demon stood there wide eyed, grasping the empty space where her katana's handle once was. Sibyl stared back at her, completely unharmed.

"How?" Azrael whispered as she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her eyes. "I-I can't… I can't protect her if… I'm this weak… I don't want… us to end like this… Why? She was just a child… She didn't deserve this… to be stuck in a body with me… and that _Grimm_…"

A wave of nausea suddenly washed over me, making my vision swim and my balance leave me. Before I could hit the ground, a firm pair of hands caught me. I looked up when my vision returned to match Sibyl's eye.

"The dizziness is just a side-effect of the link between you and Azrael being broken. In other words, you're fine." Sibyl said as she helped me to my feet.

I glanced around the roof. "Were are Onyx and Azrael?"

The wolf chuckled quietly. "I expected your first question to be more along the lines of 'what the hell just happened' or maybe 'why did you cover for Azrael just to turn around and chew her out', but that works too. When Azrael cut ties with you, she left with Onyx to find a good place to restore their strength."

"And you just let them leave?"

"What was I supposed to do? I'm no fighter and Azrael isn't exactly slow."

"No, it's just… not what I would expect you to do."

"You don't know me very well then, but we only did met less than an hour ago." Sibyl snorted softly. "I also value being unpredictable, it makes it easier to do what needs to be done."

"You and Azrael both mentioned this 'Summer' person. Who is she?" I asked.

The faunus sighed and gazed out into the distance. "Summer was a… dear friend of mine to say the least. She saved me from the streets. She was once one of the greatest huntress who ever lived and now it's nearly taboo to say her name. Her heart and soul was filled with kindness, but she was destined to be one of the creatures that kept kids in bed at night. And, if you haven't figured it out yet, she is your leader's mother, which has caused both of them a great bit of trouble over the years."

"So, Azrael killed…"

"Yes, Azrael was the one who landed the final blow, but it's hardly fair to blame her for an event she was simply caught up in. Besides, it was more of a draw than anything else. Summer may have perished in that battle, but she severely crippled Azrael in the process, even if it's not obvious to the observing eye." Sibyl touched her face as if it empathy. "I'm sure you noticed that the mask Azrael wears has been shattered previously?" I nodded silently. "The only real way to hurt a member of her species is to damage their mask, which acts a lot like a heart or, more accurately, a power conductor. But that is easier said than done. You could rally a dozen of the best huntsmen and even then you would have a low chance of injuring, much less killing one of their weaker members."

"If these creatures are so dangerous, why does no one, but you, know about them? Someone would have noticed them at some point." I questioned.

"They have a handy knack of blending in with humans. You could be surrounded by them, and you would _never_ know it. But for multiple reasons, Azrael can only create a partial impersonation of Onyx, therefore she is a lot more noticeable than some of her kin. Her mental instability doesn't help either. As for my knowledge of them, Summer was… acquainted with one of the stronger ones. Everything that I didn't pick up from my semblance I learned from her."

"Was Summer working with them?"

The wolf shook her head. "Gods no. 'Acquainted' isn't even a way to describe it. Summer would rather die than do that… and she did. She died… and no one even cared. No one cared that she was staving off an invasion. No one cared that she was the only one that could have killed N-…"

She abruptly stopped. This haunting look past over her features that sent a shiver down my spine. "I have… said too much…" The faunus started toward the stairway door. Pausing for a second, Sibyl looked back at me and spoke the eerie words, "Beware, the Raven breathes down your neck."

She left without another word.

_The Raven breathes down your neck?_ I silently repeated. _What is that supposed to mean?_

I casually glanced behind me and my heart almost leaped out of my chest.

On the roof's edge stood a large, black bird of the species in question. It stared at me with its beady, yellow eyes and cawed innocently.

Smoothing out my shirt, I calmed myself. _Did she really get freaked out because there was a bird standing behind me?_

There was something odd about the raven, but I couldn't quite place it. Its eyes carried an air of intelligence that a simple bird shouldn't have.

_Whatever. It's just a silly bird. It's can't hurt me._ I turned to leave the roof.

I swore I heard someone laugh behind me.

(Omniscient)

"A keter level Grimm? I thought that danger level was just a random idea some lab junky came up with one day."

"I thought it was too, but I can't deny the facts." Ozpin admitted. "She has already injured three students."

"Who were they?" Qrow questioned.

This was the part Ozpin was dreading. "Your daughter, Pyrrha Nikos and… Ruby."

Silence reigned on the other end for a moment. "I trust you followed procedure?"

"It was written in her file. The doctors should have followed through to the letter."

"Including the tranquilizers?"

"If they had enough on hand."

"I'll be there in a few hours." And with that, the elite huntsman hung up.

Sighing, Ozpin set down his scroll and ran a hand through his grey hair.

He made a promise to Summer mere hours before her death. A promise he didn't want to break.

"_Ozpin." Summer had spoken after a long silence. They had just exited the courthouse where she had been sentenced with banishment from all civilization. She had three days to move out into the wilderness or so the record said. Both of them knew it was really a death sentence. Once the clock stuck midnight, she would be hunted down like a wild animal and be 'put to justice'. "I'm going to do something stupid tonight. _Extremely_ stupid, and I need you to promise me something."_

_She had looked him in the eye, dark orbs steeled with urgency. "I need you to promise to protect Ruby if I ever fail to. You're the only one with influence in Huntsmen's Society that I trust."_

_Ozpin did, even though that task would later prove to be close to impossible._

_The dark huntress had let out an odd mix of a sob and a laugh. "Today was my baby's special day and I had to leave her to sit through a pre-decided case. Now I have to go home and tell her that we can never live in peace again. That her mother is now a fugitive and she might as well be one too. What kind of birthday present is that?"_

_The last thing she said was, "Things are going to be different after tonight. I'm not quite sure how, but it will be."_

The next time he saw her, she was nothing but a mangled corpse dragged almost a mile from the town she was trying to protect.

Summer was right, things weren't the same after that. It was like something had been awakened in the earth. Something ancient, powerful, and most importantly, angry. Like a dragon or, more accurately, several hundred dragons, all ready to burst forth through the ground and wreak havoc on humanity.

And there was one standing in his office.

"You told my team I was dead," came a voice from the shadows.

The headmaster froze for a second before turning to face the new arrival. "I had no say in the matter. It was Qrow who issued the order and you know that his word overturns mine."

Ruby stayed silent, cold steel eyes continuing to borrow into Ozpin's brown ones. The familiar, dorky teen was gone, leaving her features to be worn by a detached alien with a freezing inferno burning in their eye. Her Aura slinked around the room like a pack of starving wolves, ready to descend upon the professor like a hailstorm.

"You already pledged your loyalty to the Huntsmen Council," he continued, "And that is enough for me. Even though Qrow is certain you will betray us 'like your mother did', I trust you."

"You trust me to quietly turn myself in to become a lab rat?" The huntress snapped. "I read the files. I know what you're trying to do. You going to cut me up and see what makes me tick. Then you're going to try to replicate the incident that turned me into… _this_."

"I suspected you really remembered."

"It's hard to forget."

A brief silence past between them. Ozpin pulled up Onyx's file on his scroll and held it out to Ruby. "Tell me, are you familiar with this person?"

She took the tablet and stared at the picture a while before answering, "Yeah. I fought her a few times. Onyx is a hell of an opponent, even to someone like me. I assume you figured out the connection between her and Black."

"I figured out they were connected, but I'm not sure how yet." The headmaster already had a good idea of the link, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "That is why I'm asking you."

"It's not obvious, but Black's not really 'tangible' per say." Ruby sat the scroll back down on the table. "She's make completely out of Aura, so she can't be truly damaged. The only thing that's solid on her is her blade, which is soul forged and can't be destroyed easily or permanently. She also follows Onyx around like a lost puppy. They're almost constantly fighting though. You can't find one without the other."

"So they are not the same person?"

The huntress' fingers twitched like they were going to curl into a fist. "More like messed up twins than anything else."

Ozpin noticed her sudden discomfort, but didn't mention it. "Why would a vampire come to a place packed with huntsmen, and how did she manage to slip past our security?"

Ruby sighed heavily. "To be honest, Onyx isn't a regular Grimm. She came from the same incident I did. I wish I could give you more information, but that is all I know. Still, I don't recommend going after her or trying to smoke her out. It will turn out badly, I promise you."

"Thank you, Ruby." The headmaster said, knowing he wouldn't get anything else out of her. "I will make sure not to mention your 'memory issues' to anyone else."

She chuckled quietly. "And thank you, Ozpin. Just remember I'm not planning on dying anytime soon."

With that, she left as silently as she came in.

"She's a lot like you," Ozpin mused as he glazed at the door Ruby left through. "A bit too much like is something Qrow will surely use against her… I wonder if you can hear me, Summer, where ever you are. I always believed you were too stubborn to truly die."

Not that far away, a certain canine faunus was listening in. Even an unobservant eye would be able to notice there was something different about the seer. Her scarred, 'white' eye had an unmistakable black orb floating in the middle.

The eye quickly rolled back into its skull, once again only showing the snowy sclera to the outside world.

No one would ever know.

And Sibyl was fine with that.

* * *

**Lyrics from Breaking the Habit by Linkin Park**

**Brownies for whoever guesses Summer's middle name!**

***For the people who are not me, I was playing a game of SMITE yesterday as Nox and the enemy Ymir kept killing me. After my third death to him, I started yelling stuff such as "I SHALL MURDERIZE YOUR FACE YMIR" and "CURSE YOU PERRY THE YMIR-PUS" in the chat. Despite my rage, I manged to get 12/6/16, making me the 3rd most kills and assists and the least amount of deaths on my team.**


	12. Chp 9: Skepticism

**School. That is all I have to say.**

* * *

Chapter 9

Skepticism

_"You start running_

_With mistrusting and skeptical eyes_

_Are you haunted?"_

(Yang's POV)

The sun was finally starting to set on this unbearably long day.

We managed to find Weiss about an hour after her sudden abduction. She claimed that all she remembered was waking up on the roof. I'm not sure if I believe her or not. From the look on Blake's face, she was skeptical as well.

No one found a trace of that Onyx person, but we found what we assume to be her victims. The medical staff and the few patients had all been knocked out and dragged into closets fairly neatly. None of them had any scrapes, bruises or any other injury to suggest how they had been rendered unconsciousness. In fact, most of them said they felt better than ever when they woke up.

The whole situation just didn't make any sense. I knew I was missing something, but I had no idea what.

As I patrolled the hospital hallways one last time before turning in with the others, I noticed one of the doors was slightly ajar.

_Room 13... That's right, Ruby's in there…_ My hand hovered over the handle, hesitant. Part of me didn't want to know if anything had changed inside, fearing that I wouldn't like what I found. The other part couldn't stand not knowing.

Gently, I nudged the door open and peaked inside.

Ruby was indeed still in there, but she was no longer on the bed.

Her back to the door, she stood in the middle of the room, still as a statue. I wasn't sure if she was even breathing. It didn't really matter anyway, she was standing on her own, and that means that she was alive.

I really shouldn't be surprised. Ruby had a long track record of 'dying' then being mysteriously 'resurrected'. I guess history likes to repeat itself.

"Ruby?" I called out softly.

Her head turned towards me slightly, just enough for me to see part of her eye. The silver orb held an emptiness I only saw on occasions like this. It reminded of the old Ruby.

I stepped forward and hugged her from behind. That was all I could do at this point.

I thought she was really dead this time. Black was stronger than anyone I've ever seen before. I didn't even see what she did to Ruby to put her in this state. If there was anyone who could put Ruby out of her misery, she could.

It might have been be better if Ruby had died. She hid it well, but she was in agony. Even if she was nothing but a broken shell of the sister I once had, I didn't want her to go. Not yet.

I felt Ruby shutter underneath me as quiet sobs began to escape her lips.

We stood there for what felt like hours with her crying softly in my arms.

"Yang," she spoke between sniffs, "Am I… like mom? Like Qrow says mom was like? A… monster?"

I wasn't quite sure how to response, what exactly to say to comfort her. This was a fragile topic, one danced around even before the incident. My father had this bizarre belief that his sister was really a demon. I never completely understood where it came from. She seemed completely find to me.

But there had to be something behind it, because the old Ruby had said that she felt like Summer was keeping things from her, a _lot_ of things.

"_I found a weapon's stash when I was wondering around one day," she had said, unease etched on her face. "It wasn't like a regular stash of ammo and maintenance kits that an average huntsmen would have, but more like a whole armory. And a big armory at that. The weapons in there were like nothing I've ever seen. A quarter of it would be enough to take down an army. I don't know why my mom is sitting on it. She could make the world a lot safer place if she gave just a few of them to the huntsmen…"_

"If you were, I wouldn't love you any less." I tightened my grip on her. "I don't think you, or your mom, is a monster. Don't let Dad's words get to you."

"How can you be so sure?" She grasped at my arm, looking for reassurance. "How can you be sure that you won't be disgusted by what you see?"

The way she spoke made it clear that these thoughts had been weighing heavily on her mind for a while now. "It's a gut feeling. I can't explain it, but I trust it more than my father's words." I hoisted Ruby up into my arm. "Come on, I'm taking you back to the dorm."

My sister stayed quiet for the first minute or so of our trip. When she broke the silence, it was with words that I never expected.

"I… I hurt Weiss."

I froze for a split second. "If anyone hurt her, it was Onyx, not you."

"You're wrong," She looked at her hand like it had blood on it. "_I_ almost killed Weiss, not Onyx. Onyx is nothing but a fa-… You don't need to worry about her. She wouldn't be a problem anymore."

I was surprised that Ruby knew who Onyx was, but it was offset by her declaring that 'she wouldn't be a problem anymore.' What did she mean by that? She couldn't have possibly _killed_ Onyx… could she?

I shook those thoughts from my head. I didn't need offbeat speculations clogging up my mind right now. "I guess that's a good thing then. We don't have to worry about her anymore."

"That depends on how you look at it." Ruby replied stiffly.

Neither of us continued this odd conversation for the rest of the trip.

When we got to our room, I noticed Weiss sleeping on her bed, looking utterly spent. I guess this day took a lot out of all of us. Blake, however, was nowhere to be found.

"I really hate to do this, but will you be fine on your own for while? I need to check up on Blake right quick." I questioned after putting her down.

"I will. I'll be going straight to bed anyway. It's been a long day."

"Indeed it has." I wished her one final goodnight before returning back into the hallway I just came from.

(Blake's POV)

There is something wrong with this whole situation. Nothing seemed to add up quite right.

At first, I believed Weiss was behind it, but my theory started to crack when Sibyl appeared. Of course they could be working together, but that seemed more unlikely now.

Onyx appeared to be 'the one who got away' that Sibyl was talking about earlier. Her blood red eyes and fangs screamed vampire and her scent stank of sanguine. Vampires were considered to be undead, so it followed what the seer was saying. But it seemed too obvious. There were faunus that have fangs, humans that have red eyes, and some that have both. Plus, it was against that type of Grimm's nature to flaunt around their true identities. It's their discretion that makes them so deadly.

Overall, both Onyx and Black were puzzles that had no obvious solution. Almost everything we thought we knew about them was highly speculative. But I swear I'm going to get to the bottom of this, for everyone's sake.

"You know, someone could assume you're up to something with you sneaking like this."

I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard Sibyl's voice echoing behind me. Taking in a big breath to calm myself, I responded. "I wouldn't have to if you had divulged a bit more information."

The wolf faunus hummed softly. "I suppose that would be true, but I don't believe you, or anyone else at this school, is ready for that _little bit of information_."

"I think I deserve to know about the person who murdered my leader."

"Deserve, maybe, but prepared? No. What are you planning on doing with that information anyway? Don't tell me you're going to try and kill Black." The seer burst out laughing. "You'll get destroyed before you even blink!"

My eyes narrowed. "So what if I am? Even if I fail to kill her, I'm at least going to make her pay for what's she's done."

Her mirth immediately ceased, and she readopted a serious expression. "My, my. You're serious about this. I didn't think you were that foolish, but then again, you are far from aware of what she's capable of. Still, you're always one of the last ones to die."

"What do you mean 'last ones to die'?"

"You, then Yang, then Weiss. It's almost always that order. Though, sometimes, you're spared. But by then, there wouldn't be anyone else left. No humans. No faunus. No Grimm. You would be the last three sentient beings left on Remnant… Well, the last three sentient beings that started out as humans. I doubt you would be able to hold on to your humanity for that long…" Sibyl trailed off.

Nothing she said made the slightest bit of sense to me. Was she talking about some sort of apocalypse? An apocalypse where Yang, Weiss, and I outlive everyone else? An event that titanic couldn't happen in our lifetime. Could it?

"Explain yourself." Unsheathing my blade, I aimed it at her neck. "I won't let you leave until you do."

Her single eye studied me carefully, paying no heed to Gambol Shroud's deadly edge. "So, you're taking me hostage?"

The air around us seemed to grow immeasurably heavier. "If that is what it takes."

I thought I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. "I have to stress how much of a bad idea that is."

Again, something flickered on the edge of my vision, but I refused to break eye contact with the seer. "I will have my answers."

"But how much will it cost you?" A whisper echoed in my ear with a cold kiss of breath.

I whirled around and slashed at the air behind me. Nothing, but a hauntingly empty corridor greeted me.

"Are you finished staring at the hallway? I know Beacon hosts quite amazing architecture, but one would think you would be used to it by now." There was a hint of amusement in Sibyl's tone, almost as if she was taunting me.

I shot her a glare that would have made anyone else tremble, but she only smiled. Her emerald eye gleamed with I could only guess to be mischief.

"You know, Blake, things aren't always what they seem. People aren't always who they seem to be." She began to circle me, like a wolf would a cornered deer. Even though she was almost a head shorter than me, the seer held a dangerous air around her, something I failed to notice previously.

"There was once a little girl, with a smile brighter than the sun and a heart purer than gold…" The faunus stopped right behind me. I couldn't make myself turn to face her, as if she was less hazardous when I wasn't looking at her than when I was. "She was born into a simple family. They weren't rich nor were they poor. But, they weren't prepared. I don't believe anyone could have been…"

_No one could be prepared for what?_ My throat tightened with an unmistakable feeling of dread.

"She was always happy, and she wanted to share that happiness with everyone who didn't have it, regardless of… species. That is why she approached the crying demon in her dreams. 'What's wrong?' she had asked the demon. 'The light,' it pointed up to the sky, 'it burns.' She couldn't bear the thought of someone being in pain, so she offered the demon the shelter of her shadow."

I didn't know if she was telling a real story or a fictional one, but I knew it wasn't going to end well.

"When she woke up the next morning, the demon was there, hiding under the covers right next to her. And so, the demon began following her every waking second of the day, regardless if she was awake or asleep. Though, no one else but her could see her demonic shadow. They quickly became what some might call friends. Despite the girl's kindness, she didn't have many friends, so she naturally gravitated towards the demon."

My unease only amplified as the tale continued. Sibyl told the story so personally, as if she watched it unfold herself.

"It didn't take long for her family to notice her 'abnormal' behavior. They assumed the demon she was speaking to was a creation of some sort of mental illness. Eventually, she caught on that seeing things that others couldn't wasn't 'healthy.' She ended up yelling at the demon to leave her alone, and wounded, it seemingly obeyed."

The seer returned to my line of vision, her features set in an expression of melancholy.

"Years passed, and she never heard another peep from the demon. That is, until her fifteenth birthday. People at her school had caught wind of her 'previous illness', and had been torturing her ever since. That day was just like all the others: they pushed her against the lockers, knock the books out of her hands, and laugh as she scrambled to pick them up, then shove her to the ground. They would usually leave howling, but not that day."

The edge of her lips twitched, like she was repressing a smile.

"She blacked out for a second, and when she regained her senses, her hands where drenched in blood and her tormenters' still bodies littered the floor. But that wasn't the thing that terrified her the most. No, the demon's cackling scared her far more. From then on out, she became a slave to the demon's sadistic desires. It carved out a bloody groove in the world, dragging its unwilling host behind it. She fought desperately for a time, attempting to either reclaim control over her body or kill them both. But in the end, she was only human, and humans can only fight so long before they are swallowed by something larger."

"What does that have to anything?" I irately inquired after I recovered from the seer's grim story.

"It's simple, really." The wolf faunus cocked her head to the side slightly. "Black is the descendent of the little girl, or more accurately, the demon. The huntsmen knew about the demon, to some extent, and they believed they killed it. But they are horribly wrong. So tell me, how are you planning to take down something that powerful, _completely alone_, when hundreds of professionals failed to destroy its predecessor?"

I deflected her question with one of my own. "Why are you telling me this now, and not earlier, in front of everyone else?"

Sibyl let out a noise akin to a fusion of a sigh and a growl. "I've already pushed well past the limit of what I can say without everything going to hell and back. All I want is for you to understand that chasing after Black will do mountains more bad than good."

"I like to make my own decisions, not have other people, much less people I barely know, make them for me." I snapped. She was _really_ wearing on my nerves. "If I am to make a mistake, so be it."

Sighing again, she pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut. "If you can't be told, then you'll have to be shown."

Her eyes snapped back open, mismatched black and green tearing into mine. The faunus' hand clamped down on my wrist before I had time to react. My head swam as the world around me morphed into an extensive variety of anomalous shapes and sounds.

The spinning stopped, and I found myself in a forest clearing stained with fresh blood.

"Why are you doing this to us? I thought we were a team!" A woman who I assumed to be a huntress cried from beside her fallen teammate.

A man stepped out from the shadows. Immediately, I felt an air of wrongness emanating from him. "Team? I don't remember joining a team with you in it. Maybe the one you see before you did, but I certainly didn't."

"W-what? I don't understand what you're saying…" She stuttered.

"I didn't expect you to." With that, his head snapped back from some unseen force, his mouth gapping open to the sky. Bile crawled up my throat as a thick, black mist-like substance began pouring out of his eyes and maw. It curled around the trees, completely eclipsing all but the area around the huntress. I could swear that I could see outlines of thousand different screaming humans shifting in the pitch sea.

The huntress only stared at the mass as part of it rose above the rest and adopted a humanoid shape. "Goodnight, sweet princess." What I could only call a smile spread across its 'face' as shadowy tendrils shot out and consumed her before she even got a chance to scream.

My eyes snapped open, finding myself back at Beacon, laying on the floor with Sibyl staring down at me.

"That was one of the better futures. You don't want to see the worse ones. And it's an unwritten law of time that the worse the outcome, the more likely it is to happen."

With that, she walked away, leaving me to the haunting images now embedded in my head.

* * *

**Lyrics are from Falling by Cryoshell.**


	13. Chp 10: The Monster in the Mirror

**I'm in the process of creating a spin-off crack series of this story called 'The Misadventures of Onyx and Azrael', so look out for that if you enjoy my shitty jokes.**

* * *

Chapter 10

The Monster in the Mirror

_"Help me believe_

_it's not the real me."_

(Ruby's POV)

I slumped down against the door as soon as it closed and let out a long, pained sigh. My body felt like it just went through a meat grinder. Scratch that. Going through a meat grinder would be a lot less painful than this.

My eyes wandered to Weiss' sleeping form. _I'm sorry. I dragged not just you, but everyone else into this._

After a few moments of relative ease, I slowly rose back to my feet and hobbled to the bathroom. I avoided looking at the mirror while I undressed myself. I didn't want to look at myself, at the monster that managed to slip into a school of monster hunters. The last one people would expect to be demented. On days like this, I couldn't stand to see the innocent face that everyone else saw. The face of a naïve little girl that had no idea how the world really worked.

I knew how the world worked. I've lived too long in its hell not to.

A hiss escaped through my clinched teeth as the warm water stung my battered flesh. I gripped the shower walls and stared at the crimson ribbons slithering down the drain. For a moment, there was only the dripping of the water and the air circulating through my lungs. For a fleeing second, I was at peace.

That second fled all too quickly.

"My, my. You have gotten yourself into quite a predicament, haven't you? " That all too familiar voice sang.

I refused to face her, to give her the satisfaction of seeing my expression. Not that it mattered anyway. She knew every single little thing about me: what I was thinking, what I was feeling, and what the exact composition of my blood was.

"So, you're playing the ignorance game, just like every other time. You just ignore me, pretend that I don't exist. Do you know how that feels? To be ignored, like your whole life is meaningless? I guess you wouldn't. You've always been in the limelight. The limelight that was supposed to be _mine_."

I heard the tiles behind me crack.

"_You._ You stole _everything_ from me. You stole my life. You stole my name. You stole my _face_, my _body_, my _family_, my _childhood_, _my everything_! _I am_ Ruby Rose, _you are not_. You're just a lowly _thief_."

I finally turned towards her and met her molten steel gaze. She looked like an older version of myself with much longer hair and an inhumanly tall stature. "From what I remember, you didn't even come into existence until after the incident. Therefore, I am the original, and you are not."

She burst out laughing as the droplets of water from the showerhead continued to pass through her. "_You're the original_? You're funny, thief. So very funny. And so very fragile…" She reached out and caressed my check, my nerves still detecting touch despite the fact she was only an illusion. "It been a while since you've been this weak, barely able to move the air in and out of your lungs… It would be so easy to retake my body when you can't even put up an ounce of resistance, and cause a little… havoc."

"You wouldn't dare…" I hissed.

"Oh I would…" My doppelganger crooned. "The humans won't know what hit them. One moment, their going about their meaningless lives, and, the next, there is nothing but ashes. I'll personally make sure your _team_ will be the last ones to die, and I'll make them the most drawn-out and tortured…"

"_Leave them out of this_!" I shrieked, fist slicing the apparition in two. Her 'body' morphed into a black, featureless mass before dispersing with a sound akin to muffled screaming.

_You can't keep me locked up forever. It doesn't matter if it takes ten days or ten years, I will get out._ Her voice echoed through my head as I stood there, panting in the shower's light downpour.

When I finally gathered myself up, I exited the bathroom to encounter Weiss waiting for me. She didn't say anything, she didn't ask any questions; she simply gazed at me with oddly understanding eyes and wrapped me up in a hug.

I tensed for a second. Weiss wasn't fond of physical contact, so this sudden display of affection caught me off-guard, but I slowly eased into her embrace. Nuzzling into her shoulder, I breathed in her delicious scent, letting all the worry weighing on my shoulders melt away. I no longer cared that my secret had begun to bleed through the cloak of lies I had created to protect those that had grown close to me. I no longer cared that Qrow was coming to tear down the life that I was finally happy with. I no longer cared that I had a homicidal personality running around in the back of my head. I no longer cared that I was one of the monsters Weiss was supposed to kill. All that existed was her.

I don't know how, but her presence alone calmed the beast inside, making the tireless predator stop its endless hunt and curl up in the underbrush. That was something not even Yang's constant reassurance had done even for a millisecond.

It was a tempting thought, especially with her accelerating heartbeat enticing me so, to snatch her up and run to a place where no one could find us. Though I could easily cut down anyone who dared to follow us, Weiss attempting to escape me would be a bigger and more likely problem. Any sort of friendship we had developed over the months would disappear the second I showed my true colors.

"…Ruby?"

I then realized that in the haze of my thoughts I had pressed my lips against her neck. Thankfully, I had not done anything beyond that, though the temptation to do so nearly dominated my mind. Begrudgingly, I pulled away without feeding my desires. I was probably making her uncomfortable anyway.

If she had been, she swallowed it down before I could see it.

"You should get some rest; you have been through a lot today." I nodded silently in agreement. "Sleep in my bed tonight. I don't feel comfortable with you climbing into that death trap of yours when you're in this state."

Weiss took me by the hand and led me to her bedside. I followed her numbly. What was I supposed to say to her in this situation? I'm okay, just a little mauled to death? Sorry that I died for a second there? Sorry that I broke your hand and almost your spine? "Weiss..."

Her finger met my lips. "You don't need to say anything."

With that, she slowly lifted me into her bed. She turned to leave and I couldn't help but catch her by the wrist in an attempt to preserve the peace her presence brought.

_Please don't leave me. I don't want to be alone again._

(Weiss' POV)

I felt cold fingers wrap around my wrist. I had to wonder when did her skin become so icy? Perhaps it was always like that, or maybe it was a side effect of today's events.

I looked down at Ruby's pleading grey eyes and couldn't help but notice that her pupils were ever so slightly sharpened at the top and bottom. They gave an air of inhumanity to her already unusual orbs. Still, I couldn't say no to those eyes, for reasons that where beyond me.

I quietly slid into the sheets next to her, once again pushing the limits of how much physical contact with another human I could stand without trying to reclaim my personal space. It was something I seldom experienced in my childhood, making it a near alien concept for me that some people were supposedly comforted by it. The only one that I had ever stretched my boundaries for was Ruby, though that was originally because she so often invaded my private bubble. Now, I'm finding that her touch was… somewhat enjoyable to say the least. Still, I was doing this for her and not for any other reason.

She snuggled up to me with her back against my chest and quickly fell into a silent slumber. I could feel the powerful muscles in her back slowly contract and retract as she breathed. How did someone so young get to be so strong? The level Ruby was at _least_ miles above the average for a huntsman triple her age. I guess it would reasonable if she had trained her whole life and had enough talent, but there seemed to something else, something lurking just beneath the skin. Something I desperately wanted to comprehend. But the time for that was not now. Now was the time to close my eyes and rest.

"We meet again, little Rabbit."

I reopened my eyes and found myself back in the monochrome room, with that specter sitting at its chess set.

"Do you understand that Azrael and I are real now? That we are not simple figments of your imagination?" The wraith inquired with a tilt of its head. I only gave it a pointed glare. I had no reason to trust this wraith that invades my dreams. "So you're giving me the silent treatment? That's just fine. All I really need is for you to listen anyway."

The specter stood up and began to slowly circle me. "You've been taught since the day you were born about the monsters that stalked the shadows. The monsters that came out at night to feast upon misbehaving children. But what truly defines a monster? And is it truly fair to call monsters monsters? Yes, there are the creatures of Grimm, who know only hatred, but what of the others? The faunus have been labeled as monsters for centuries by their 'pure human' brethren, but are they really evil by nature? Azrael and Onyx, both what many would call a monster. Both of them have so much kindness in their heart, but they are still _monsters._ You see, humans are quick to call what they don't understand 'monstrous.'"

"Where are you going with this?" I asked impatiently.

The wraith silently dismissed my question. "Ruby's mother was a monster, and she is too. Well, that is what most of the huntsmen community thinks. Personally, they would be some of the last people I would label monster, but no one much cares for my opinion. No one cares because I fall into the monster category, too. And soon, Weiss Schnee, you will be in the monster category as well."

I wasn't quite sure how to process its words. Me? Turning into a monster? "What do you mean by that?"

"Azrael's Aura has some… unique effects on humans. In the small, indirect, amounts, it repairs and strengthens the body, ridding if of even the most terminal diseases. But even the tiniest amount of direct exposure causes a vastly different result. The pure power of her Aura damages, if not completely crushes, the soul. Its presence then starts to shape the body into a more… suitable form for itself. Every single human that has come into contact with Azrael's soul has died horribly. Every single human, except you." The specter seemed to stare at me with marvel while my body stiffened with surprise.

"Your soul and body didn't just stand up to her Aura, but basked in it. It did take a little bit of time, and a little bit of pain, for them to adjust, but they did. That is why I reached out to you. You did what I, with all my knowledge of both Azrael and souls in general, didn't believe to be possible. That is why I bothered to directly contact you in the first place. You see, I prefer to stay in the shadows and operate from afar, so it's rare for me to actually meet someone 'face to face'. Even if I have my appearance and voice masked."

"Should I be honored?" I verbally jabbed when I recovered.

"That is up to you to decide," The wraith replied smoothly with a smile in its voice. "While I do not trust you enough to reveal my face, I believe we can get to that point. We have a lot to gain by working together, but I'm afraid that I can't talk for very much longer. All you need to know for now is that I will be there when you need me."

"Wait!" I shouted as the room began to fade. I don't know what possessed me to but I asked, "Do you know what 'the Raven breathes down your neck' means?"

"You just realized that? She has been breathing down your neck for a long time, though I shouldn't be surprised. She is quite subtle, even to someone who extremely Aura sensitive. Don't worry. She usually just watches. You have to do something very extreme for her to take action against you.

"Something _very_ extreme."

(Omniscient)

"Do you know what I find funny? We've done more in a single day than we have done in a decade. I'm not complaining, I'm glad something is finally _actually happening_, but it's still funny."

"I don't see how you find this situation amusing. Our lives, as well as the lives of thousands other are on the line."

Manasa huffed and shot the brunette a sharp glare. "You always have to ruin my fun, don't you?"

"Sisters, please." The dark haired man sitting next to the brunette interrupted. "We are all on the same side here. There is no need for hostilities."

"Indeed. And now we need to be more united than ever." Nyx strode into the room and took her place at the head of the table. "Osiris," the dark haired man replied with a respectful 'Lord Nyx.' "Veritas," the brunette nodded slightly. "Manasa," the viper waved and responded with a halfhearted 'sup.' "And Cerberus." The burly man next Manasa sat up a tiny bit straighter.

"Seven years ago, I approached you with an unusual and seemly impossible request." The demon queen started. "To tear down the corrupted monarchy that has plagued our people for more than three thousand years, and reunite the human world with the Daemon world, to return it to the way it was before the War of the Grimm Sword."

Osiris frowned at the memories those words stirred up. The War of the Grimm Sword was a long, bloody, three-way conflict that lasted centuries. What made the nature of that war even worse was the fact it started with a gesture of peace from Daemon-kind to humanity. It was a mutual slaughter. Daemon warriors cut down the human's armies, and human huntsmen murdered Daemon children by the dozens, many of which were too young to access their powers. And, of course, Grimm gorged themselves on both sides.

The war had ended with humanity pushing the Daemon to flee into another dimension using the power of Dust. It had been the Old King's plan to wait out the storm and repair their relations at a later date, but… things didn't go as planned, to put it lightly.

And now, history was starting to repeat itself. There would be bloodshed, most likely to an even greater scale than the first war. The Grimm Sword's successor was stronger, hungrier, and didn't need a wielder. But scales were tipped a little more in the Daemon's favor this time. They knew what would happen, they had prepared for it for nearly a decade, and they had its black-tainted twin. Though, the black one could easily turn on them, it was their only real hope.

"Despite the hopelessness, you four stood behind. My four generals, and my right hand, of course, who is within enemy lines at the moment and cannot be present. I do not know where I would be without you."

"Can you skip all the thanking? Or your right hand's right hand is going to be red, aye!" Manasa nudged Cerberus with a shit-eating grin on her face. He only sighed and cradled his head in his hands.

"I'm going to ignore that statement for both of our sakes." Nyx stated with a halfhearted flick of her snowy hair. "As I was saying, the situation has developed immensely in the last twenty-four hours. Shortly after we crippled the White Fang, Azrael showed herself to Team RWBY and JNPR in a mock battle against Pyrrha Nikos, and now Qrow is marching straight to Beacon. Azrael has gone back into hiding, but now there are eight more people that know of her existence. I doubt Weiss or Ozpin would talk, Yang _maybe_, but Qrow might be able pin her down with the other five. And I'm sure you all know what that means."

The viper's hand shot up immediately. "I vote to kill what's-his-face!"

"Is killing people all you ever think about?" Veritas asked, even though her semblance allowed her to know the answer before it ever crossed her lips.

"We could kidnap him instead." Osiris offered.

"Please don't encourage her…" Cerberus murmured in his usual soft-spoken tone. "It is hard enough to keep her out of trouble as it is…"

"Hey!" Manasa slammed her hands down on the table. "_I'm_ the one who wears the pants in this relationship!"

"We both wear pants…"

"_You know what I mean!_"

Nyx groaned. "If you two are done being an old married couple…"

"The only old ones around here are those two." The snake faunus gestured towards Osiris and Veritas. "Seriously, five thousand and something years old. They're ancient."

"Anyways… Qrow is getting uncomfortable close to her and we can't any obvious moves to prevent that. So we simply have to prepare for the worst case scenario. Should the worst case scenario happen, our first goal is to separate them. If the grass is dying right underneath your feet, then move to incapacitate Azrael. If not, let her flee. There is no reason to engage her if her base programing hasn't take over. Are we clear?"

There was several nods and hums of agreement.

"Then you are dismissed." The demon queen left without another word.

Manasa hands tightened into fists. The war they have been preparing for so long was just on their doorstep. It didn't feel like small revolution she had participated in all those years ago, the one she had so easily won. This felt more like walking up to death itself and hoping that she lasted long enough to make a difference. In a way, that was exactly what they were doing.

A Daemon's name was considered sacred for a reason. Their name spoke of the powers the possessed and without it, they were nothing.

Nyx was named the queen of night and the mother of the monsters that stalked it when she was born. No one would deny that she was all this and more.

Azrael's name, however, simply meant archangel of death. And she truly was death incarnate.

At the second of her birth, she surpassed the simple state of being a Daemon and she became something far beyond that. She was her own species. A species that defied the laws of nature.

A species that could only be called ungodly.

* * *

**Lyrics from Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace**


	14. FB 4: The Blood of a Huntress

**To Aznerr- I figured this was getting a bit confusing, so here's a special teaser thing just for you to answer some questions about Onyx and her relationship to Ruby and Summer. Sadly, I can't began to explain who *coughwhat* Azrael is without explaining what Daemon are (which was what this mini-chapter was originally going to be about) and revealing what *coughwhoisin* the big machine is in chapter 7. All that I can say is that Azrael is and was _not suppose to exist_. Nothing _remotely_ like her _was suppose to exist_. But she *coughit* does. And the place where she was born has had more Grimm activity than anywhere else on Remanent. **

**Anyway, sorry about the late update. I have been struggling with my depression (high school is not helping).**

**Also, I am probably not going to do the lyrics thing anymore because it slows down updates and I might rename the teasers into flashbacks or something.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

March 3040 AD

(Omniscient)

The cold claws of winter where finally starting to loosen their grip upon the earth, and the birds were finally starting to sing again. It seemed like the land had forgotten the holocaust committed only a few months ago. Onyx wished she could forget like Nature did.

She slowly emerged from the trees' shadows to stand upon the cliff where she had heard a huntress and her daughter had been recently buried. The hybrid's bangs had been swept back over her ear, exposing her left, silver eye. The eye she kept covered in the presences of others, hiding the fact that there was still some form of humanity clinging in her battered corpse. It was easier for her to pretend that she was only a heartless Grimm. This was an act that she often times lost herself in, truly becoming the Onyx persona she had created for herself and not the person she was before. At the very least, the performance made it easier to feed upon her victims.

She had quickly figured out that her new body required mountains more energy than her old one did, mostly because of how much she had to constantly expend to keep her Grimm side at bay. No matter how much food she guzzled down, it still wasn't enough. So her body evolved to take the blood of others, making her truly become one of legendary nocturnal stalkers and not one of the Grimm look-likes.

Her vampiric status was one she didn't enjoy. Though, there was a part of herself, buried deep inside, that did.

There were two gravestones perched upon the cliff, and Onyx sadden when she read their inscriptions. She had held on to the silly hope that, somehow, her mother had managed to survive for so long, but how could she have? Onyx was the only one who had gotten out alive, and that was with only a breath of humanity left.

She knelt before the memorial and caressed its cold stone. "I won't let your death be in vain. The world is going to be a lot more dangerous place now that you're not here, and as your daughter, I feel I should be the one to take up your reins. I know you said several times that the life of a huntress wasn't for me, but I don't have much of a choice now. What can hunt Grimm better than another Grimm?" A short, humorless laugh passed through her lips. "Things are a lot different now. I'm no longer as weak as I was before. In fact, I'm stronger than ten huntsmen combined. I'll slay all the vampires you didn't… get to, including the one who did this to you. I promise you, I will."

A droplet of salt filled water fell upon the carved letters spelling out those accursed words.

_Summer Rose._

For what seemed like an eternity, Onyx sat there and mourned. Mourned for her mother. Mourned for the life she lost. Mourned for the person she no longer was.

A small caw broke her out of her sorrowful thoughts. The hybrid glanced down to see a raven standing beside her with what seemed to be a gleam of understanding in its eyes. She gingerly reached out and ran her fingers lightly over the bird's dark feathers, a smile perking up her lips. The raven surprisingly didn't flinch at her touch, but leaned into it.

"Did you know my mother's middle name was Raven? It makes this situation ironic, don't you agreed?" Onyx chuckled. "And now, I'm talking to birds. I must be going insane."

The raven studied the hybrid closely as she looked into the distance, seemly dissecting her in its mind. Of course, Onyx was blind to exactly what was sitting next to her. She, like many other, saw a fairly weird, but completely normal, harmless bird. Not something that had a trail of corpses larger than Onyx's following it.

But that was something the world would only know when it was too late.

* * *

**That raven is going to take over the world. I'm not even kidding. **

**(Yes it is the same raven that scared Weiss.)**


End file.
